Returning Home
by Soniclink137
Summary: When a letter from an old friend arrives, Eon is asked to return to the home village she left years ago to watch his evolution ceremony. However, Eon had left the village without consent from any of the leaders, causing her to be banished. Now, with the help of her two friends, she must go back to her old village and be accepted back. A Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers Story.
1. The Letter

The bright morning sun lifted over a small cliffside area shaped like a shark-like Pokémon known as Sharpedo. It was early in the morning and very quiet and most Pokémon were still asleep. Even the guild-members from the guild at the other side of a small town were still asleep. So it was strange when a small, brown, fox-like Pokémon climbed out from under the top of the cliff with her blue scarf on and treasure bag as if she was going on an exploration.

When the eevee walked out of the hole in the ground she immediately closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the cool breeze contrasting with the warm spring air across her fur. After enjoying that for a couple of seconds she moved on. She walked a couple of seconds before looking back at the entrance with a worried expression. She continued looking at it, as if she was having difficulty tearing her gaze away from it. The eevee eventually shook her head before walking onto the dirt path to the side of where their entrance is until she reached the edge of the cliff. She took once more look at the hole in the ground before turning her gaze back to the wide ocean that expanded below and beyond the cliff.

"Hmm…I don't know," the eevee mumbled to herself. "Should I, or should I wake up my friends and tell them?"

"Should you what?"

"Leave it alone," the eevee answered as she faced whoever made the question with a groggy glance. "I don't know whether I want my teammates joining me on something or not."

"Then telling me that might not be a good idea, 'least till you've thought it over."

The eevee's eyes snapped open wide as she realized who she was talking to. She finally saw clearly the figure in front of her. It was a white Pokémon that had the shape of a deer. Its hair was green and it also had green at the bottom of its paws. Finally it had a red scarf around its neck that stuck out at the same point it had a couple of pink flower pedals attached to its neck.

"Shaymin!" the eevee exclaimed.

"Eon!" Shaymin yelled in response. "Now that we're done establishing our names, what are you up to?"

Eon's ears lowered and her face fell, almost as if she was a child caught in a lie. "N-nothing," she said.

"Nothing huh?" Shaymin asked. "Wait, let me guess." Shaymin smirked before saying, "You've got a secret mate huh? You sneaky little fox. I see your game. You just don't want to break Axle's heart, huh?"

Eon gave him an unamused glance. "Really Shaymin? You had to go there?"

"And you shouldn't have expected anything else!" Shaymin said, proudly lifting his head up as he did. "But seriously, I get that your business is your business and if there's something you've got to do alone then you can. I'm perfectly ok with that. But you don't have to act so secretive about it. Axle and I are your friends so you can feel free to tell us anything."

"I have something I might need to deal with alone," Eon said. "Just…give me some time to think about it."

Eon turned back to look over the cliff, going back into her thoughts. However as soon as she turned Shaymin said, "Alright, fine. But if you really are going alone, be sure to tell your parents I said 'hi'."

Eon blanched and nearly fell off the cliff. She turned around and looked at Shaymin with a surprised expression. From what little she could see of Shaymin's face she could see he had a smirk.

"Wha…how did you know?!" Eon yelled.

Shaymin turned around to look at the eevee. "Wait, so I was right!?" Shaymin asked. "Cool!"

"Well?" Eon asked.

"I just guessed," Shaymin admitted. "I mean, the only thing we don't know about you is your family so if there's something you're hiding, I figured that's a good guess. Didn't think I was actually right but…"

"Alright, fine," Eon said as she rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm thinking of visiting my family. Possibly alone."

"So, since I know that, would you mind telling me why you might not want me or Axle following you when you visit your family?" Shaymin asked. "I'm sure we both wouldn't mind visiting your folks with you."

"It's…" Eon trailed off and looked down. "It's hard to explain really."

"Well you could start from the beginning," said a very familiar voice to Eon.

Eon looked past Shaymin until she saw who she thought she heard. A riolu was standing at the entrance, his blue goggles snuggly on his forehead and his arms crossed. Eon jumped back and nearly tripped over herself when she saw him. "Ahh Axle!" Eon yelled.

Axle nodded. "Eon," he said. "What's going on?"

"It's…well…" Eon closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again she said, "Alright, even if I do decide to go it alone, I should still tell you. Come on you guys, let's head back inside. I have something to show you."

Eon walked past Shaymin and Axle and went back down the steps to the base. When she got in she walked across the rocky ground until she reached a small wooden table in the middle of three beds that were set down in a triangular pattern on the base floor. With her mouth she reached into her bag and grabbed out a letter from her bag, which she preceded to place on the table. Axle and Shaymin both came down after her and surrounded the table.

"So what is this?" Shaymin asked.

"This is a letter from an old friend of mine named Elvin," Eon said. "He's an eevee from the village I come from."

"What did he say?" Axle asked.

"He…wants me to be at his Evolution Ceremony," Eon said with a sad sigh.

Axle looked directly at Eon with a questioning glance. "Evolution Ceremony?" Axle questioned. "What exactly is that? Something eevee do?"

Eon looked at Axle and nodded. "Yeah exactly," Eon said. "You see, I used to belong to a village of eevee that lived in a part of Mystifying Forest, just outside of the mystery dungeon portion. We're a small tribe filled with all sorts of Eeveelutions. It's the only place where you can find almost every Eeveelution living in one place and they are all there for one reason."

"Luminous Spring, right?" Shaymin asked. "The place where all Pokémon go to evolve."

"I guess it make sense then," Axle mused.

"Anyways," Eon continued, looking back at the letter, "the Evolution Ceremony is a ceremony that takes place when one of the eevee born to the village are ready for evolution. Usually what happens is the eevee will first go out on a journey through the forest to find the Evolution item they need. Once they gain it they'll bring it back to one of the elders and the ceremony can begin."

"The ceremony is similar to how most evolutions go in the lake, only the eevee's friends, family, and the village elders all watch it happen as well. Plus the eevee will usually make a sort of speech about what they plan on doing with their new evolution. It's at that point that the Pokémon will either stay or leave the village."

"And you want to watch your friend's Evolution Ceremony," Shaymin finished for her. "So what's the problem?"

"I broke the village's rule," Eon confessed finally. "I broke the village's rule. Because of that, I'm exiled from entering the village ever again. I…knew that might happen but…"

"Start from the beginning," Axle suggested before Eon broke down into rambling. "What exactly happened?"

Eon looked to Axle for strength before she explained what happened.

"As you both know, I used to be very timid. I had a hard time working up the courage to do anything really. At the same time though I dreamed about being able to go off and explore. I dreamed about not being so afraid and exploring throughout the world, discovering new things, and help Pokémon out on the way. I wanted it more than anything.

At the same time though, our village has a rule. We, as eevee, aren't allowed to leave the village until we are deemed strong enough, and not allowed to leave the forest until we evolve.

The problem was my timid nature always got in the way. I couldn't explore the area around our village where we were allowed to go, I didn't have the nerve to challenge other villagers to a fight, there was just no way for me to gain experience. So at the rate I was going I would never be able to evolve and leave the village.

Now, due to Explorers frequently visiting Luminous Spring I heard about Wigglytuff's Guild. I wasn't supposed to, since we're not supposed to talk with Pokémon outside our village, but I did. When I heard about it, I wanted more than anything to join Wigglytuff's Guild since I was sure that joining the guild would help me become more courageous. But Mom, Dad, the elders, almost everyone didn't think I'd make it. They didn't want me going there because they thought the training would be too hard on me. Even Elvin wanted me to wait a bit before I tried.

I didn't want to wait and get stronger though, since I knew I never was going to by just staying in the forest. So one night…I just left. I left the forest behind and went to Treasure Town, never looking back."

Shaymin chuckled when he heard that. "Wow," he said. "You actually ran away from home? I never would have thought you'd have it in you!"

Axle glared at him before glancing at Eon. "Not to agree with Shaymin completely, but I'm surprised you did that too. Weren't you the one who always said you were too timid?"

"I was too timid!" Eon said desperately. "I should have stood my ground! I should have told them that I was going! I should have at least tried to talk it out with my parents or the elders! But no…" Eon's head lowered and her ears flopped. "I was too big of a chicken. I was too afraid that they would just reject me outright and that would be it. I was afraid they'd actively try to keep me from leaving. So…I ran away like the chicken I was."

Axle opened his mouth to argue against it but Eon noticed him and cut him off. "No, don't say anything Axle. Don't even try to argue against it. I was a chicken. You and I both know that. And because of how big of a chicken I was, I'm exiled from my home. And now I might not be able to see one of my best friends at the most important time of their life."

Eon lifted her head back up and the glint of determination shone in her eyes. "But not anymore! I've grown a lot stronger since that day, back in the forest! I'm not the timid eevee I used to be and I am going back to my village to make things right!"

Axle took it in for a few seconds before nodding. "Alright, I think I understand the situation now," Axle said. "I just have one more question for you. What part of this is making you unsure about whether to bring Shaymin or me? Is it something you just have to do alone?"

"Sort of…" Eon looked between her teammates. "It's…really hard to explain. I just…I feel like since this is my home and my friend, I should be the one going to fix things. Plus, my village really doesn't like outsiders so…"

"Alright, fine then," Axle said with a soft smile as he crossed his arms. "I understand. There are some things in life you just have to do alone. We're fine with that."

"I'm glad you guys understand but…" Eon paused for a second and thought about a few things. "I decided…I want you guys to come with me."

Axle and Shaymin both looked at Eon with surprise. "Are you sure?" Axle asked. "You don't have to bring us. We're fine waiting here for your return."

"Yes, I am sure," Eon said. She took a step back in order to see both Axle and Shaymin. "Axle, it's thanks to you that I became as brave as I am and Shaymin, you are my teammate. We're friends so I should share my problems with you. There are things there that I will have to do alone, but that doesn't mean you can't come with me to back me up. That's what friends are for."

"Aw, that's so sweet," Shaymin said, though as usual Eon couldn't tell whether he was joking or serious. Probably both.

Axle just nodded. "Alright then," he said. "When the time comes we'll let you do what you need to do. But we'll be sure to accompany you."

"Thanks you guys," Eon said. "Anyways, let's go. Elvin's Evolution Ceremony will happen soon and I don't want to miss it."

Shaymin and Axle both nodded and the three of them started on their way to the forest.


	2. Meeting Elvin

The team walked through the forest until they reached the dark blue waters with the bright lit center of Luminous Spring. The place itself was in the thick of the forest so even though it was the middle of the day the area looked like it was in the dark of night. The grass was also tall and thick around the lake, fed by the rainfall that the place gets.

When the three entered the clearing Eon told Axle and Shaymin, "Elvin told me he'd meet me first to help me get in the village."

After telling them that, Eon stood forward and while she looked around for any sign of him she called out, "Elvin?! Are you here?!"

Her voice echoed off among the trees with no response.

"Uhh Eon…are you sure he's here?" Shaymin asked as he looked around.

"He should be," Eon answered, her head shifting to and fro. "This is where he said he'd meet me."

"Did he give you a specific time?" Axle asked. He had his eyes closed as he was sensing the auras around him for any sign of life. "We might be either early or late."

"I…he didn't say any specific ti…"

"Someone's coming," Axle suddenly said, interrupting Eon. "Look at the trees towards the left corner."

Axle opened his eyes and looked in that direction while Eon and Shaymin followed. When they concentrated in the direction Axle pointed out they could see the tiniest glint of silver shining out from within the trees. They still couldn't see the shape but Axle and Shaymin immediately braced themselves for a possible enemy.

"Pretty impressive," said a voice from that direction. "Not that I was trying to be unseen, but I still didn't expect you to find me this fast. You've made some interesting friends, haven't you Eon?"

Eon's ears twitched at the familiarity of the voice. "Elvin!" Eon called out with a smile on her face.

"Elvin?!" Axle and Shaymin both asked at the same time.

A couple of seconds later Elvin popped out from between the trees with a glint in his step. Axle and Shaymin both gasped when they saw him. His shape was that like an eevee's, however unlike the normally brown fur that coats that an eevee has, his was silver colored. As he steadily walked through the forest his fur also shown in what little light there was.

"What in the world…" Axle asked breathlessly.

"You're friends with a Shiny Pokémon?!" Shaymin exclaimed. "Lucky!"

"Shiny?" Axle asked. Eon looked back to him at that question and saw he was looking between Shaymin and Elvin with confused glances.

Elvin reached Eon's side just as Eon started explaining. "Shiny Pokémon are the name for Pokémon with different colors than normal," Eon explained. "So Pokémon like Elvin here. No one really knows how it happens or why, but we do know they're very rare. Some Pokémon live their entire lives without ever seeing a Shiny Pokémon. Heck, Elvin here is the only Shiny Pokémon born to our tribe as far back as it goes."

"I'm nothing too special though," Elvin said. "My coat color is just a little different, that's all." Elvin nodded in Eon's direction. "So…you brought your friends then." They both glanced at each other for a couple seconds, a silent conversation going between them. A couple seconds later, Elvin said with a little hesitation at first. "…Are you going to introduce me to your friends Eon?"

Eon nodded back. She walked forward a couple of steps to get between Elvin and her teammates. She took a neutral position to see both of them before she spoke.

"Elvin, these are my teammates," Eon said. "The riolu is my partner and best friend Axle." Axle nodded his hello as he usually did. "And the shaymin is my teammate Shaymin. That's all he goes by so…"

"What, Axle gets partner and I'm just stuck as that random teammate you picked up?" Shaymin asked with mock hurt. "Oh well, I guess I don't get to be a part of your 'special relationship'."

"Uhh…should I ask?" Elvin asked.

"No…you really shouldn't," Eon answered in a bored and almost annoyed tone.

"Anyways, it's nice to meet you Elvin," Shaymin said. "Any old friend of Eon's is a friend of ours, no problem."

"So, you're here to help Eon get back into her village?" Axle asked, getting straight to the point.

"That's my hope anyways," Elvin told Axle with a nod. "I'll admit, it might be difficult for a number of reasons, chief among them being: the rules of the tribe do exist for a reason, and giving Eon lenience because of her status as a hero makes the rules seem weak. It invites the younger generation to go off and do the same, getting themselves hurt when they take on the world before they're ready."

"So then, I suppose you still think I should have stayed behind?" Eon asked, a slight bitterness in her tone.

Elvin sighed and turned to Eon. "I suppose you did prove yourself to be fine. Saving the world is a rather impressive feet for an unevolved eevee. Even if it was with help, that is still an impressive feat to be sure. Still, not everyone is you. Not every single eevee is able to accomplish the feats you were before you evolved."

"Still…whether it was right or not for you to leave matters little now," Elvin finished. "You did so and now you wish to return and as such, you have my full cooperation. I'm just stating that it might be difficult due to our rules."

"I made a promise to watch your evolution ceremony," Eon said. "So I don't care what happens. I'm fulfilling my promise."

"T-thanks for that, Eon," Elvin said. He nodded. "Let's go to the village then."

Elvin walked off into the direction he came from and everyone else followed him. Axle and Eon stayed behind and followed him while Shaymin decided to fly up to Elvin. Elvin gave Shaymin a questioning glance which Shaymin responded with a smirk.

"So…where's your whole village place hidden anyways?" Shaymin asked. "We've been to Mystifying Forest several times and I haven't seen it."

"Our village is on the opposite side of the path leading from Treasure Town to Luminous Spring," Elvin explained. "So unless you guys decided to head through Mystifying Forest on your way back from an exploration, you probably wouldn't have even come close to seeing us. Plus we sort of try to keep our village hidden."

"Why?" Shaymin asked.

Elvin flinched. "It's…hard to explain," he said hesitantly. "Please…just don't ask. I…really don't want to talk about it."

Shaymin looked back at Eon for clarification, but Eon just shook her head. "Sorry Shaymin," Eon said. "They never told me the specifics and all Elvin told me is that I don't want to know. I know as little about it as you do."

"It probably does matter," Axle chimed in. "After all, we're outsiders. And you said before that outsiders aren't really welcome in your village."

Elvin stopped and looked back. "Yes, true," he said with a nod. "I suppose I should explain about that before we reach the village. You need to know about this for when we end up meeting with the elder."

"Explain what?" Shaymin asked.

"As Eon has probably told you, outsiders aren't exactly welcome in our village," Elvin explained. "Neither did I expect you guys to come here. I prepared the Elders that Eon was coming with me to talk to them but I never thought she would bring her teammates. This…makes things difficult. You should be fine, so long as you stick with me, but nobody is going to be happy when they see you. For the sake of not causing an argument or a fight, could both of you please only speak when spoke to, and maybe not even then, no matter what happens?"

Axle and Eon both glanced at Shaymin. "What?" Shaymin asked in a playful tone. "Since when was I ever the one to speak out of turn?"

"I'll try but I make no promises," Axle said, crossing his arms. "If Eon needs my help then I'll help her. I won't stay quiet if that happens."

"You'll help more being quiet," Elvin said. "Trust me. But I guess I can't stop you. Just please try."

Axle reminded silent.

"Anyways, let's keep moving," Elvin said. "The village is really close. Just beyond those trees over there."

Elvin pointed in the direction they were all heading and Shaymin immediately flew into the sky to take a look at the village. Everyone stayed where they were while they waited for the couple of seconds that it took for Shaymin to get back.

Once he flew back to us he said, "Yep, that's a pretty well hidden village. And this is coming from a member of the Hidden Ninja Shaymin Tribe."

"Hidden Ninja Shaymin…Tribe?" Elvin asked, dumbfounded by Shaymin's description.

"Don't ask," Axle said quickly.

"Shaymin came from a village in the mountains that was buried behind an avalanche for a long time," Eon explained. "So they were pretty much hidden from the world for a while. Also when we first heard of them, some of the Pokémon thought that shaymin were a tribe of ninjas since they were hidden."

"Let's keep going," Axle said.

Elvin nodded back to Axle. "Right. Let's go."

They all continued on for a couple more seconds until the trees became much less dense. The trees were also much larger than usual and there were a few large stones as well that were scattered around the area as well. Along with that, there were dirt paths all along the forest, the only indication that this wasn't an average forest.

"Well…we're here," Elvin said. "Welcome, Team Aura, to the Elemental Village of Mystifying Forest."


	3. Elder Engagement

Team Aura and Elvin began walking through the dirt roads Elemental Village. Axle and Shaymin looked around the village with awe on their faces while Elvin and Eon just continued their walk as normal. After a couple of seconds of looking at that, Axle finally spoke.

"Interesting place," he said. "By the looks of things, all the trees are hallowed out houses. And if I had my guess, the boulders also follow the same function. That's a rather interesting way of keeping this place hidden. It's through the thick of trees to keep most travelers from coming and the natural look of the place would prevent anyone flying above it from noticing anything unusual. Very interesting."

"This place wasn't exactly built with our xenophobia in mind, but it does serve that purpose well," Elvin said. "It was initially just built to allow us eevee to live in pure nature. The rocks are well suited for flareon and glaceon to live without worry while the trees are perfect for leafeon or vaporeon. Everyone else will live in either one. They don't have to live exactly like that, but most prefer things like that."

"I love the natural feel of this place, I'll tell you that," Shaymin said. "Needs more flowers though. Some Gracidea over there, some petunias over there, a couple tulips and roses…"

Shaymin continued rambling on about the different flowers that could be planted, everyone else continued on walking. Axle crossed his arms as he looked around and he eventually started to slow down. Shaymin and Eon eventually noticed Axle slowing down, so they walked back to where he was.

"What's up Axle?" Eon asked.

At this point Elvin also noticed Axle was falling behind and he himself walked back to see the riolu.

"Where is everybody?" Axle asked. "We've been crossing through this town for a couple of minutes now and I haven't seen anyone."

Elvin stopped for a second, looking sort of disturbed. "They're…around," Elvin finally said after a couple of seconds. "We just haven't seen them yet. We'll probably see more of them as we get closer to the meeting hall."

"Hmm…still, with all the buildings we've passed, you'd think we'd see at least someone walking around," Axle mused.

"Let's just keep going," Eon said, duty bound as she turned around to walk off. Elvin and Shaymin did so as well and, after a couple more seconds of looking around, Axle quickly ran up to them and followed him.

As Elvin said, as soon as they started walking towards the meeting hall, eeveelutions started popping up more and more. Axle and Shaymin noticed all types of eeveelutions in many different pairings walking around the streets: from a jolteon and flareon couple that had two eevee kits following behind them, a leafeon and an umbreon that were talking with each other, and a glaceon that looked like he or she was yelling at an espeon and a vaporeon. The eeveelutions were starting to pile up as they walked further and further through the forest.

"See Axle, there are more residents here," Shaymin said. "What were you worried about?"

"Hmm…I guess," Axle mumbled.

As they kept walking, eventually the residents started noticing the team's walk through the town. When they did they all stopped to stare silently at the crew. The younger eevees usually looked at them with curiosity but the older villagers looked at the crew with either sadness or anger. Elvin and Shaymin didn't let it bother them, but Axle closed his eyes and walked using his aura while Eon blushed nervously.

"Just ignore them if you can," Elvin said softly. "They're not used to outsiders, so they're going to stare at us. They'll get used to us eventually. I…hope so anyways."

"That's…not why they're staring at me," Eon said with guilt in her voice.

Elvin stopped for a second and looked at her. "Don't worry Eon. We'll fix that as soon as we can. You won't be outlawed from this village soon if I have anything to say about it."

Axle opened his eyes and crossed his arms and silently walked on with the rest of them. The rest of the way to the meeting hall was a short walk after that, just a couple of minutes of walking before they ended up in front of an impressively large tree. The tree was the largest tree in the village and it dwarfed all other trees.

Shaymin whistled when he saw that. "Impressive," the grass/flying type said. "You guys sure know how to grow them big."

"Come on inside," Elvin said as he pushed open the wood door with his right paw.

Inside the building was a large area with plenty of wooden stumps with a small white cloth over them around the floor for Pokemon to sit down on. On the walls to both the right and left sides of the room hanging three-and-a-half feet above the ground there were streamers where a brown dot was surrounded by dots colored the same color as all the eeveelutions. Finally on the other side of the room there was a wooden staircase leading to higher floors.

"Welcome to the meeting hall," Elvin said when everyone walked in. "This room is where we hold most of our town meetings. It's not the most comfortable place in the world, but it works. Still, this isn't our final location. The elders are all upstairs."

Elvin looked at Eon. "Are you ready?"

Eon looked to the ground. "As…ready as I'll ever be," she said. "Let's go."

Elvin was the first to reach the steps and start walking up them, closely followed by Eon with Axle and Shaymin lagging behind. The walk took a while, mostly because Eon took it slow on the way up, but eventually they reached the top of the staircase. There they entered a large room where, as Elvin said, the elders were waiting for them.

There were seven elders sitting on seven chairs, from left to right: an umbreon, a glaceon, a vaporeon, a leafeon, a jolteon, an espeon, and a flareon. The elders first looked at Eon and Elvin, as they were the first in the room, but then their eyes slowly fell onto the rest of Team Aura as they walked in. The various elders had various expressions to the situation at hand. Along with the elders though there were two others who were also at the left side. They were a leafeon and a vaporeon and, by the recognition between them and Eon, it was clear that they had some relation.

"Elders," Elvin said when we all got settled in. "I brought Eon with me, just as I said I would."

"Among other friends," the glaceon mentioned as she glared at both Axle and Shaymin.

"Elder Glaceon, enough," the umbreon said. "We'll deal with that later. Eon is the focus currently. We'll deal with the extras later."

"Love how we're 'the extras,'" Shaymin mumbled under his breath so only Axle could hear him. Axle rolled his eyes and then walked up to Eon's left side, despite the glares that were sent towards him during his advance.

Elder Umbreon looked directly at Eon. "Eevee Eon. I assume you already know this, but I'll tell you anyway. You have placed us in so many different difficult situations that there is no easy answer to this. On one paw, you blatantly disobeyed our laws. Yet it's that disobedience that saved the world. We wish you exile you because of this, not out of malice to you but rather to caution the young, yet you wish to be a part of Elvin's evolutions ceremony, and Elvin has requested this as well."

Eon looked to the floor. "I…I want to see Elvin's ceremony no matter what, sir," Eon said nervously.

"We understand that, so we have an option for you," Elder Jolteon said. "We want you to evolve, quietly. Once you evolve, we can integrate you back into the village and you can go to Elvin's evolutions ceremony. You also get to be even more powerful. So it's a win, win situation for both of us."

Despite that, Axle clenched his paws and didn't look pleased. "So they want to cover everything up?" Shaymin mumbled himself. Elvin looked fine with it, but Eon still looked to the ground.

"This plan is stupid to begin with," Axle also mumbled, though he himself mostly kept it under his breath. "Aside from the impossibility of it, a lot of villagers saw Eon already. How the heck are they going to spin this to those that did? Or do they have another agenda for making Eon evolve?"

Elvin flashed a grin to Eon. "Well? It's that simple. I'm sure with someone like you, you're able to evolve at any time."

"Besides the fact that I can't," Eon mumbled so softly that the elders didn't hear her.

Elvin looked at her. "What was that?" he asked out of surprise.

Eon looked towards Axle, who nodded back to her. With that in mind, Eon lowered her head again, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes back up, she glared at all of the elders.

"So that's your plan?!" Eon yelled. "Just cover up and pretend I was a good, obedient eevee?! That I made sure to evolve before leaving?! You're just going to lie to everyone and expect me to lie to them as well?! All to push your stupid paranoia?!"

Eon stamped her paw to the ground. "Well I'm not going to! Don't you think I might want my own evolution ceremony someday?! That I want my special day as well?! And you're just going to take that away from me?! Well I refuse!"

Everyone's jaw dropped, except Eon's friends, but Elder Glaceon quickly bounced back from the shock.

"Then you won't be allowed to go to Elvin's evolution ceremony," the ice-type said. "It's as simple as that. I'd choose your options more carefully if I were you. Is your little pride so important that you're willing to break your promise to my son?"

"That's your mother?" Shaymin asked as he flew over to Elvin's right side. "I kinda feel sorry for you dude. I'd hate to be birthed by her." Elvin was unable to respond.

"Now Eevee Eon, if you'll leave our presence and take the outsiders with you," Elder Glaceon said as she leered over Eon in an attempt to intimidate her.

"Those 'outsiders' are my friend," Eon said, standing her ground, "and I'd prefer it if you didn't talk about them like that! Those 'outsiders' are also wiser then all of you 'elders' put together! They don't discriminate against random Pokémon who they never met!"

"And you know what?!" Eon said defiantly. "I will be taking a part of Elvin's evolution ceremony whether you like it or not! So how about I make you a deal?"

Eon stamped her right paw once again. "Axle, Shaymin and I will face off against three of this village's strongest in a battle! When we win, you will allow me to come and go as I please, stop discriminating against outsiders, and I will be allowed to go to Elvin's evolution ceremony! If we lose, then me and my team will leave and never return."

Elder Glaceon finally stood up. "And what if we refuse?!" she asked.

"Then we will force our way into the ceremony, ruin the entire thing because of that, and I'm sure your son wouldn't want that," Eon said in a much more controlled and forceful voice. "So make your choice. Either way, we'll see you all in about a week's time. Good day to you."

Eon turned around and walked off without saying anything. Axle also followed her without saying anything at all. Shaymin on the other hand, stayed behind for just a couple seconds to roll over on the floor laughing.

"Man, you guys got owned!" he said before flying off, his laughter bouncing off the wooden walls of the room.


	4. Homeward Bound

Team Aura walked out of the meeting hall and were walking their way out of the village when they heard the sound of paws running towards their direction. The team looked back to see the leafeon and vaporeon from earlier along with Elvin running up to them. Eon stopped so the rest of her team stopped and they all waited for the three Pokémon to catch up to them.

"M-mom…dad," Eon said when the three got close enough.

"So, those were her parents," Axle mumbled to nobody in particular.

"Eon…what the heck was that?" Elvin asked. "You…and you…what?!"

"S-sorry about that," Eon said shyly. "I…might have gone a little overboard. I just…" Eon took a look back at her teammates before shaking her head. "I wasn't about to let them intimidate me!" Eon said proudly. "I made a promise to go to your evolution ceremony and I intend to keep that promise! No matter what!"

"You're…different than how I last saw you," Elvin said.

"Still…" Eon mumbled, once again shyly. "I…might have gone a little overboard. So…sorry about that. I just…" Eon looked around the village. There was nobody else there besides them. "I've been intimidated so many times by the Pokémon in this village, I just had to do that. I had to prove I'm not going to be intimidated anymore."

Eon's parents looked awkward in the conversation that was going on until they decided to move on in and actually join the conversation.

"A-anyways," the leafeon said. "I guess proper introductions are in order."

Eon nodded. "Mom…dad. These are my fellow team members: Axle the riolu and Shaymin a well…shaymin. Axle's the one who I first formed a team with and my steadfast partner. Shaymin on the other paw, we recruited from Sky Peak and he has proven himself to be a great team member time and time again. If…he isn't a little strange at times."

"Nice to meet you," Shaymin said with a bow. Axle also nodded his hello as usual.

"It's…nice to meet you both as well," the leafeon said hesitantly. "My name is Leif and I am Eon's father."

"And my name is Myst and I'm Eon's mother," Myst the vaporeon said. "Despite the circumstance, it's nice to meet you both."

"Yeah, the circumstances," Leif mumbled. "Listen, the elders talked about it since you guys left and they came to a decision. They accepted your challenge. On the evening before Elvin's Evolution Ceremony the three strongest members of this village will face your team. While they can't promise to change any rules, if you win, you and your friends will be allowed to come and go from this village as you please, and you will be allowed to go to Elvin's ceremony."

Eon looked slightly relieved yet still a little disappointed. "Figures they'd do something like that."

"Rules and tradition exist for a reason, and even if you disagree with them," Elvin said. "You can't expect them to just suddenly change. You need to change the hearts of the Pokémon before you can change laws."

"Still, we managed to clear it with the elders and you three are allowed to stay with us for the duration of the week," Myst said. "Your brothers and sister have already left so there's plenty of room."

Eon smiled. "Thanks mom. Dad."

"If you wouldn't mind showing us the way to there then," Axle said. "We had a long walk here through Mystifying Forest and it'd be nice to rest up for a bit and strategize."

Silence fell as Eon's parents looked at Axle with amazement, this being the first time he spoke in their presence. Axle didn't react or respond to that though, and instead he just stood there with his arms folded as usual. This continued like that for a bit until Eon's parents finally found their voices again.

"A-alright, follow us," Leif said.

The family and Elvin first walked off first, leaving Axle and Shaymin to follow along behind.

While they were all out and walking, Eon's parents decided to talk to their daughter. "Eon…about that riolu," Leif said quietly so 'that riolu' didn't hear him. "Who…exactly is he?"

"Axle?" Eon asked. "What do you mean by 'who is he?'"

"Well…" Leif quickly snuck a glance back at Axle. "He's really quiet. But it's more than that." Leif looked directly at Eon. "It almost feels like he's examining us. Calculating us. As if we could become his next enemies."

"Well we are explorers," Eon said. "We do have to crawl through dangerous dungeons and there are times where we can be suddenly attacked by the Pokémon living in the area. Axle's also our leader so he sort of has to examine our foes and be ready to fight at any moment. Plus…he went through a lot in his past."

"What is his past anyways?" Elvin asked. "I've heard a lot about you guys second-hand, but never anything about where he comes from?"

"It's…complicated and I'd rather Axle explain it to you instead of me," Eon said. "It's his story to explain for as long as he's here."

"Still, he is a good partner right?" Eon's father asked.

"The best," Eon assured him. "Axle might be quiet, but he's nice. He's also really strong. He makes me feel stronger and braver when I'm around him. Plus, he's great at thinking on his feet and coming up with strategies on the fly. He's also got a great variety in his moves which is great for our explorations. Plus, his Emit Ring item lets him hit ghost-type Pokémon which has been very helpful."

Eon realized she was singing Axle's praises a bit too much, so stopped with a blush. Elvin examined Eon for a couple of seconds. "I did hear that much second-hand," he said with a nod. "Yours and Axle's names are spoken of highly throughout the forest so I imagine Axle is a pretty nice Pokémon."

"And what about Shaymin?" Myst asked.

"Shaymin's…weird," Eon said.

"Yeah, I sort of got that when I first met him," Elvin said.

"I mean, he's a good friend, don't get me wrong," Eon back-tracked. "He's really, really kind. Out of all of us he prefers rescue missions because he likes saving other Pokémon. He's also a great fighter and really fast. He can sense where items are in a dungeon and his senses allow him to map out a dungeon immediately. He can even cure our poison with his Purify Veil which is really useful when facing poison types."

Eon chuckled. "He's just…eccentric. In a way he's sort of Axle's opposite. While Axle is more serious and likes to keep his emotions under his hat so that we don't worry about him, Shaymin is hardly ever serious and doesn't bother hiding his emotions. They balance each other out in that way."

Everyone she talked to nodded. They soon reached a decently large tree, larger than most of the other trees, where they all stopped. "Well, we're here," Leif said. He pushed the door open. "All in."

The inside of the tree was a lot homelier then the town hall was. It was still a circular room just like town hall, and it even still had a staircase on the other side of the room. It was a lot smaller, but it had some extra doors along some of its sides. The room was furnished with an azure carpet with a grass emblem, a wooden table, and the same eeveelutions banners on the wall that the town hall had.

As Eon walked in, a wave of nostalgia ran over her. The eevee shuddered at the memories that poured into her, causing her to stop where she was going. Axle and Shaymin walked next to her, Axle looking over her as she stood there.

"You ok?" Axle asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Eon answered. "Just…"

"Being home again getting to you?" Axle asked.

"Yeah," Eon said with a nod. "But I'll have plenty of time for me to be nostalgic later."

"True," Axle said. "For now we should get settled in."

"Well make yourselves at home," Myst said. "Eon should know where the bedrooms are so you shouldn't have any trouble there."

Axle nodded. "Thanks," he said.

"Yes, thank you for your hospitality Mr. Leif and Mrs. Myst," Shaymin said formally and seriously. "If you wouldn't mind, to show my gratitude I'd like to be the one to make dinner tonight."

Axle and Eon both looked at Shaymin with eyes wide in surprise.

"If you would like to, sure," Myst said. "That would be great actually. Thank you so much Shaymin." The vaporeon pointed a paw to the door at the right of the staircase. "Our storage is over there. Feel free to use whatever you need."

"Thanks," Shaymin said before dashing off into the storage room, pushing the door with his psychic power.

Myst walked closer to Eon and Axle. "Does he always do that?" the vaporeon asked.

"Yeah, he does," Eon said while Axle leaned against the doorway. "Since Shaymin joined us and started sleeping in our base with us he also took it upon himself to cook for us after explorations."

"Because apparently just berries normally would be some sort of crime or something," Axle said, his eyes closed.

"Shaymin's also been trying to learn how to blend fruit from a Pokémon called Spinda that opened up a café in Treasure Town," Eon continued. "He's been getting…decently good at it from what I've heard but he hasn't let us try anything he's blended yet. Mostly because he's having trouble 'getting Spinda's technique down.' He wants us to try what he makes sometime soon though and I personally can't wait."

"Still, I'm sorta amazed," Eon said, looking towards where Shaymin left. "Shaymin is hardly ever formal with anyone. Nor did I expect him to offer to do that."

"Maybe it's just how he was raised," Elvin offered. "I was personally taught to always be formal to those that are willing to house me so perhaps Shaymin had the same teaching. I would personally love to meet his parents if they did."

"Good luck with that," Shaymin's voice called out from the storage room, causing Axle to open his eyes back up as well. He soon after used Psychic to open the door and bring out plates filled with a random assortment of different meals and sweets. The gratitude Pokémon had the largest grin on his face as he walked across the room with the plates and saw everybody's expressions.

"Sorry if I went a little overboard," Shaymin apologized to Eon's parents as he placed the plates on the table in a circular pattern. "I'll be sure to replenish your stock later. I just wanted to give a feast to the Pokémon that created my favorite eevee as a thanks for taking us in even though the rest of your culture looks down upon us."

Eon's mouth dropped and a large red blush was evident on her face. Even Axle couldn't contain his feelings of surprise, but the riolu was able to keep it off his face a bit more than Eon was. Elvin looked at Shaymin with amazement, the white eevee enamored by the grass-type.

"You…really don't have to do all that," Leif said in amazement.

"Of course I do," Shaymin told the leafeon with a smile.

The gratitude Pokémon finished setting up the plates and flew a few feet over the table when he was done. "Dinner is served," Shaymin announced to everyone. "Feel free to eat."

"Uhh…thanks…Shaymin," Eon said with embarrassment.

Everyone surrounded the table and eat the dinner that Shaymin prepared for them.

"Thanks once again for your hospitality," Axle said while they were eating. "This will make a great spot to rest for now. Better than going back to Treasure Town at least."

"No problem," Myst said. "Hopefully you'll be able to rest up here more often." Leif nodded as if he was in agreement, though he seemed much more melancholy about it.

"I don't plan on losing!" Eon said confidently. "My team and I have been through so much together that there's no way we're going to lose this! Especially not with what's at stake."

"If you wish for my recommendation though, I do have a suggestion," Elvin said. "While you are waiting for the week to end, talk with the villagers. As I said before, if you wish for outsiders to be accepted in, like yourselves, you first need to change the hearts of those of us living here. Do that and you might get your wish eventually."


	5. First Inquiries

**Chapter 4: First Inquires**

The morning light shone into Axle's room in Leif's house, waking him up. Axle immediately noticed when he got up that Elvin and Shaymin, who were sleeping in the same room, both weren't there anymore. The riolu decided it wasn't worth worrying about immediately though and got up and stretched before opening the door and walking out of his room. When he did he noticed Eon also walking out of her room. The eevee looked tired, but otherwise fine.

"Hey Eon," Axle said. "Morning."

"Morning Axle," Eon said. "Where's Elvin and Shaymin."

"Not here," Axle answered. "Where they are…I don't honestly know. If I had my guess though, Shaymin is probably terrorizing the villagers and Elvin is trying to stop him."

Eon chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds like them."

Axle nodded. "I suppose that leaves us on our own today. So, what do you want to do? I suppose we could try to talk to the villagers but considering the looks they gave us yesterday well…I don't think that'll be easy."

Eon nodded sadly. "Yeah, sorry about that," she said. "Since my childhood, and probably before that, we've always been so xenophobic. 'If an outsider comes you are to ignore them! Do not let them talk to you at all costs!' That's one of the first things we learn in class. Since I left, I'm also considered an outsider so I can't help much either."

"Yeah, that would put a damper on things," Axle said, crossing his arms. "It's going to be hard to get an entire village's trust if the village itself isn't very trusting. I suppose if we knew why the villagers hated outsiders that might help but…you mentioned you don't know, right?"

"Yeah," Eon grunted. "We're not taught that until we evolve. Elvin's the only exception."

Axle's arms fell to his side and he looked intently at Eon. "Think we could get it out of him?" the riolu asked.

"Pfft, I wish," Eon said. "I tried that already. …Granted, it was a few years ago, but I don't think he'll tell us now either. He mostly follows the village's rules and he was told not to tell anyone until they evolve like the rest of the village learns."

Eon grunted and slammed a paw into the ground. "I wish he'd just tell us though! Make an exception for us or something! I mean, he wants us to be integrated into the village anyways, so why be so secretive about it! If he wants the rest of the villagers to trust us, then he should actually help!"

Axle placed a paw on Eon's shoulder to stop her tirade. Eon looked up, realized what she was doing, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. When she was done, Axle stepped back to his original position.

"Thanks Axle, you're right," Eon said. "I really shouldn't lose my cool like that. It's just…this was my home. Even if I'm going to be spending most of my time exploring, I'd still like to come visit my home every once in a while."

"We're not positive that Elvin won't tell us anyways," Axle said. "After all, as you said it has been a few years and Elvin might be more willing now. We shouldn't rely on him, but if we happen to see him well…"

"Yeah, but what else can we do?" Eon asked.

She closed her eyes and thought for a few seconds until her eyes snapped open with realization. "Axle, we're explorers!" Eon announced to the world.

"Really?" Axle asked without changing his vocal inflections. "Is that what we've been doing this entire time? Good to know."

Eon rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. It's our job to explore the world and discover its secrets. We can do the same here. Let's look around and try and see if we can find out what happened to this village on our own!"

"On our own huh?" Axle asked, crossing his arms again. "Where do you recommend we search first?"

"Where else? Town hall!" Eon said. "If there hiding anything anywhere, it'd be in town hall!"

"Hmm…not a bad idea," Axle said. "We're going to have to hope that the Elders aren't there, but beyond that Town hall would be a decent place to look."

"Well let's go then!" Eon said. "It's time for Exploration Team Aura to find the secrets of this village!"

Axle and Eon walked up to town hall, but stopped before the big tree. Eon nodded to Axle and Axle stepped up to the tree, closed his eyes, held out his right paw, and his aura tassels lifted up. Axle stopped there like that for a few seconds, sensing the tree with his aura. Eventually his tassels fell back down to his sides and Axle looked at Eon.

"The tree's empty," Axle said. "We're free to go in and check it out."

"Did you notice anything else about it?" Eon asked.

"No, but that doesn't mean there's nothing there," Axle said. "We should head on inside and check it out regardless."

"Yeah, let's go," Eon said.

Axle and Eon both walked into the tree and immediately inspected the area. They both walked around inside the hollowed tree looking for anything suspicious, anything that stood out, anything that could lead them to a secret. Eon took mostly the left side while Axle mostly took the right side in both their searches. They searched for a bit, but knowing their time was short before someone came in they both ended up reconvening in the center quicker than they would have liked.

"Find anything?" Eon asked.

"Not really," Axle said. "I tried to look around with both my X-Ray Specs and my Aura, but I found nothing. How about you?"

"I have an idea, actually," Eon said. She turned around and pointed at the banner on her side. "You see that banner there? It's too high up for an eevee, even one standing on their hind legs, to reach, but any of our evolutions could reach it just fine. And if you have to evolve before you can learn about our history…"

"It's possible that what we're looking for is up there," Axle finished for her. "It's worth a shot."

Axle flipped his X-Ray Specs from his forehead over his eyes once again and looked over at the banner. He looked at the banner for a few seconds, with Eon watching him intently. Axle eventually raised his goggles back in his forehead again and looked at the eevee.

"Odd, I didn't notice anything," Axle said. "No secret switch, no hidden staircase, nothing. That banner does seem to be just for decoration."

"Really?" Eon asked, looking down to the floor.

"Of course, there is one other thing we can do," Axle said. "Even if it doesn't directly lead us to the secret of the village, it can at least hopefully give us some clues."

"Ah, the Dimensional Scream!" Eon said. "Do you think you'll get one?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Axle admitted. "Depends on whether it activates. I already tried using it earlier at your front door yesterday and it didn't work then. But still, it's worth a shot. I'm gonna need a bit of a boost though. Mind giving me a hand?"

"So long as you're quick," Eon said. "I don't exactly have that much endurance."

Eon walked up and put her side against the wall, lining up against it vertically. Axle walked up to her and climbed on top of her back. Eon slightly wavered and her knees buckled under Axle's weight, but she managed to stay firm and support Axle's weight. With that, Axle was able to stand on both of his paws and get enough high to touch the banner.

"S-see…anything…Axle?" Eon grunted.

"Just a second," Axle said. He closed his eyes while placing his paw on the soft fabric of the banner. "I need to concentrate."

Axle stood like that, trying to ignore Eon's squirming below him. Despite his concentration though, he wasn't able to see anything. He didn't get any headaches either, signaling that his Dimensional Scream wasn't coming. Axle groaned in frustration and decided to jump off of Eon to spare her his weight.

"Sorry Eon, I got nothing," Axle apologized. "No visions or anything. I could be wrong, but I don't think this place has anything to do with what we're looking for."

Eon kicked her paw. "Fine," Eon said sadly. "I…guess we'll just have to search somewhere else…"

"Eon?! You're here huh?"

Axle and Eon both looked over towards the entrance where they saw a jolteon walking into the meeting house. The jolteon looked at the both of them for a couple of seconds before his eyes stuck on Eon. Once he did, he smirked and ran up to them, making a beeline specifically for the eevee. He ran quite close to her, violating her personal space.

"Geez, Eon what happened to you?" the jolteon asked. "When you left us you were just that cute, shy little eevee and now you're here standing up to the Elders? Man, I would have never expected it from you. You should have warned me when you left that you were going to come back hot."

"And you are?" Axle asked, keeping emotion off of his face while crossing his arms.

Eon took a step back. "…Wait, are you who I think you are?" she asked. "Are you…?"

"Yeah, but I go by Sparx now," Sparx said. "Eon, it's been a while."

Eon rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it has. I see you still haven't dropped the act. But why now? Elvin isn't even here."

"Can I get some context here?" Axle asked.

Eon nodded. "This is another one of my friends when I was younger," Eon said. "I didn't hang out with him as much as Elvin, but we did talk a lot." Eon faced Sparx. "Sparx, this is Axle, my best friend and teammate."

Sparx smiled and gave a small bow to Axle. "Nice to meet you, Axle," Sparx said. "Glad to see someone was keeping Eon alive. Arcues knows how the world would be without that sexy little eevee."

Eon rolled her eyes and groaned. "Really Sparx?"

Sparx chuckled. "You know I'm kidding. But seriously, the meeting hall was the last place I expected to see you two after you yelled at the Elders yesterday."

"The Elders aren't even here," Axle said. "I checked. We don't have much to worry about."

"Oh, really?" Sparx asked, looking kinda disappointed. "Oh well."

"We're here to figure out what happened in the past that makes the Pokémon here so afraid of outsiders," Eon said. "We were trying to see if there was something here that would tell us." Eon's eyes lit up. "But now that you're here, you can tell us. Yeah! You're evolved, so you must know, right? Can you please tell us Sparx? We want to know because it might help us get the rest of the villager's trust."

"Sorry, no can do," Sparx said. "Last I check, you're still an eevee. Rules are rules, and if you're trying to be a part of the village again then you're going to have to play by the rules."

"Even though you're currently breaking the rules by talking to us," Axle pointed out.

"…Point to Axle," Sparx said with a chuckle. "I guess the rules don't matter too much to me. But still, it's a long talk, and I'd rather not be the one canned for telling you. So you're just going to have to figure it out on your own. But hey, if you ever see me outside the village, I'd love telling you over a wonderful Saturday night."

"But…" Eon said, but Sparx turned around, cutting her off.

"Anyways, there's someone I gotta meet, so I'll see you later," Sparx said. "Good luck with your search, though."

Without another word, Sparx left the meeting home with a single bound. Eon had her right paw lifted in the air when he left, only to put it down once he was finally gone. Her ears flopped down and she looked disappointed because of it.

"So…can I ask what was with that guy?" Axle asked. "He acted like two different Pokémon. At the same time. I recommend counseling."

"It's just…something he does," Eon said. "It's usually when Elvin is around though. Don't worry, he doesn't actually mean any of the things he says to me. Heck, he's told me that he plans on taking a mate outside of the village. He and Elvin just…don't exactly get along that well and he knows that saying that annoys Elvin."

"…Odd." Axle looked out where Sparx left. "And you said you're both their friends?"

"I said I'm friends with both of them," Eon explained. "I didn't say they're friends with each other. It's…complicated to be honest. A complicated part of my past."

Eon turned her gaze in the direction Sparx left for. "Still though…I wonder what he came here for? Any ideas Axle?"

Axle crossed his arms. "Hmm…I have a few," Axle said, though mostly to himself. "But it doesn't really matter right now. Let's just get back to searching for your village's secret."

Eon nodded. "Right."


	6. Elvin's Reasons

With searching through Town Hall being a bust, Axle and Eon continued their walk through town to find any clue as to the village's fear of outsiders. The two of them decided to search around the border of the town this time, in hopes of finding some clue as to where the secrets for why that is lies. So they went towards the southern border and walked counterclockwise around the village.

"Find anything yet Axle?" Eon asked as they walked.

"No, unfortunately nothing," Axle answered. He kept moving his head to and fro as they walked, making sure not to miss even the slightest detail. "I can't seem to find any sign of a secret passage here. Nothing out of the ordinary, aside from how silent it is."

"Hey, if you want a break from the silence, I can help!" a loud, familiar voice from up on high rang out.

Axle and Eon both looked to the tree-covered sky above to see Shaymin flying straight from the leaves down to their level as quickly as possible. Shaymin did a backflip a couple of inches before touching the ground before he landed. Once Shaymin finally landed, he gave both Axle and Eon a smile.

"Axle and Eon, it's nice to see you two this morning!" Shaymin said after he was done with his routine.

"Hey Shaymin, it's good to see you too," Eon said. "What have you been up to this morning?"

"Oh, I've just been here, there, everywhere," Shaymin said.

As Shaymin was explaining Elvin appeared from behind the trees behind Shaymin and ran up to where the group was. When the silver eevee got there he immediately collapsed to the ground with his eyes closed and panted. "You…have…got…to…stop…moving," Elvin managed to choke out.

"Elvin?" Eon asked.

Elvin took a couple of seconds to catch his breath before he got up and finally was able to talk to Eon. "Hi Eon," Elvin said. "Sorry we had to meet today like this."

"What exactly are you two doing?" Axle asked.

"Oh the usual," Shaymin said with his large smile still on his face.

"The usual being…?" Axle asked, though he immediately thought better of it. "Never mind. I probably don't want to know."

"It was nothing to worry about," Elvin said. "He was merely joining me in searching for the two of you. After…disrupting a couple of villagers."

"I wouldn't call it 'disrupting'," Shaymin told Elvin.

"You tried to match two of the villagers together!" Elvin said. "And one of the two you did already had a mate! And in fact was Eon's mom!"

"You did what with my mom?!" Eon asked.

"Hey, it's hard to tell some of you guys apart!" Shaymin said, holding his paws up in the air in his defense. "There are like five vaporeon here and three of them are girls! How was I supposed to figure out the one I talked to was Myst?!"

"You could have asked," Elvin said. "Or tried not to bother the villagers. But I suppose it can't be helped. What's done is done. Try to be a bit more courteous to the villagers in the future though. You're not helping your own case. Try acting a bit more like you acted to Eon's parents last night."

"Hey, I apologized afterword," Shaymin said. "And it could have been worse. At least it was Myst instead of some other random villager."

"True…I guess," Elvin said.

"So Shaymin being Shaymin," Axle said. "What about you Elvin?"

"I was tasked by the elders this morning to keep an eye on you three," Elvin explained. "Unfortunately Shaymin would not sit still and we missed your awakening. So we've been searching for the both of you."

"Should we tell them we were right under the elders' noses?" Axle whispered to Eon without changing posture.

Eon chuckled but didn't answer him.

"So the elders want to watch us," Axle said out loud, his arms crossing and a frown on his face.

"It's not for the reason you're thinking," Elvin quickly backtracked. "They just wanted me to keep an eye on you, not stop you from doing anything or something like that. Not all of the elders hate you guys. I mean yeah, there are a few that don't like you (my mother being among them) but most are indifferent to you at least."

Axle still looked at Elvin skeptically.

"So…what have you guys been doing all morning," Elvin asked, trying to change the subject as fast as he could.

"We've been searching for secrets," Axle said. "Secrets as to why this town hates outsiders. Since you seem to not want to tell us."

"Oh…you want to know about that…" Elvin said, his head and ears lowering.

"Yeah," Eon said with a nod. "We're trying to figure out why the villagers are so afraid of outsiders. Why we've always been told that outsiders are bad. That way we can help them understand that we're not all bad. Elvin…can you please help us? We need to know."

"Listen you guys…I can understand why you'd want to know. If someone was afraid of or hated me I'd want to know why too. But…" Elvin shook his head. "Eon, I'm sorry but there is a reason why they don't tell us until we're older. There is a reason why I haven't told you. There's especially a reason why I don't want to tell you now."

Eon defiantly faced away from Elvin. "Fine, don't tell us then," she said. "I guess we'll just have to keep looking on our own. Come on Axle, Shaymin."

"Naw, I'll leave you two to continue on your date," Shaymin said. "I'll stick here with little Elvin."

Eon rolled her eyes and started walking off. Axle followed along behind her without saying anything at all. Before the two of them got too far though, Elvin quickly ran up to the both of them.

"Wait, I'm just trying to protect you from something you don't want to know!" Elvin called out.

Eon continued on as if Elvin didn't say anything. Axle on the other hand, stopped. The riolu looked back at Elvin while his friend continued walking off.

"Eon is stronger than you know," Axle said before running off to catch up with the female eevee.

Elvin stood there, watching as Eon and Axle walked off without him. The silver eevee felt a tug in his heart to go after the two but Axle's words and Eon's actions forced him back. So all he could do was watch as the two went off without him.

"Am I wrong?" Elvin asked himself. "Is it wrong for me to want to keep the information from her? Is it wrong for me to want to protect her?"

"I guess it sorta depends," Shaymin said from behind him. Elvin turned around to look at the gratitude Pokémon.

"What exactly do you mean by 'it sorta depends'," Elvin asked.

"What's got you so scared about telling Eon anyways?" Shaymin asked instead of directly answering Elvin's question. "I know you don't want to tell us about what happened, but can you at least explain why you don't want Eon to know? What happened when you learned about it?"

Elvin looked away with a pained look on his face. "I'll…admit the information came to me at a bad time," Elvin said. "It's…you might want to sit down for this."

Shaymin sat down a few feet away from Elvin and the eevee himself sat down as well. Elvin looked to the floor and thought for a few seconds before he began his story.

 _It was...nearly two years ago if memory serves me correctly. Spring was just about to end and summer was around the corner so most of us were in the middle of planning our summer activities since our tutorships would be over for the summer. Some of us would take parts in battles, some of us would find some sort of sport, and Eon, I, and a few others would usually spend our summers studying._

 _Around that time I noticed something strange when it came to Eon. She normally had few friends and kept to herself a lot anyways, but she became even more secluded as of late. I knew that she had been previously shot down, by both the elders and her parents, on the idea of going to Treasure Town to join the local guild, so that's what I thought was wrong with her. I figured she would get over it eventually and wait until she evolves before leaving the village like most of us do._

 _It was also at that point in time that my tutor, Elder Umbreon, decided to tell me about what happened in our past and why outsiders aren't allowed inside the village. It was a boon only given to me thanks to my station as the offspring of an Elder. We were inside his home at the time, away from prying eevee ears._

"… _And so, that's what happened in our past," Elder Umbreon finished off that evening. "Now that you know, Elvin, please refrain from telling anyone else. Your friends will learn when it's their time and I don't want them feeling like you got special permission."_

 _I was silent, my head lowered to the ground in though. I wasn't really listening to him, instead I was lost in my thoughts. My tutor eventually noticed my hesitation so he walked from his resting spot closer to me. It took me a bit before I finally looked up at him._

" _Elvin?" Elder Umbreon asked._

" _S-sorry sir, I was just lost in thought," I told him._

" _It's a natural reaction," Elder Umbreon said. "Many others had the same reaction when they first learned about our past. Don't let it harm your perception though. While we fear outsiders, what happened wasn't necessarily their fault. Rather, it was a combination of our naivety and their overzealousness. It was a tragic event to be sure though, and has shaped how we live."_

" _I…guess," I said, but in all honesty I completely missed what he said. I just wanted to go home and think things over. "May…may I go home now Elder Umbreon?"_

" _Yes, you may," Elder Umbreon said with a breath. "This is heavy stuff for someone as young as you. You should go home and rest. Should you need it, I will always lend an ear to your trouble."_

" _Thanks you," I said with a bow. I respectfully walked out of Elder Umbreon's tree home, but as soon as I got out and he could no longer see me, I ran home as fast as my paws could carry me. I didn't care who saw me, I felt the need to get to the security of my home as fast as possible._

 _I reached home and went immediately to my room. From there I barely remember what happened for a while after that. I didn't fall asleep, per say, but I almost feel like I lost consciousness of the reality around me._

 _I regained awareness of my surroundings thanks to a familiar voice calling my name._

" _Elvin? Are you ok?"_

" _Ah, Eon," I said. I shook my head till I finally regained awareness of my surroundings. I looked around and realized that it was well into the night. "What are you doing here so late?" I asked her._

" _I…I uhh." Eon took a step back in embarrassment and her cheeks were red. "I…well…"_

" _It's alright Eon," I told her, trying to comfort whatever she wanted to say out of her._

" _I…want to be an explorer," Eon whispered to me._

 _I sighed. "Yeah, I heard," I said. "I'm sorry the elders shot you down on that. But at least they told you that they'd allow you when you evolve. So you just have to wait a bit before going."_

 _Eon shook her head. "No Elvin, I want to be an explorer now," she said, a bit louder but still not above a whisper. "I can't wait for when I evolve. Elvin, you and I both know that I'm too scared to do a lot of things. What if I'm still too scared when it comes time for me to search for my evolution item? What if I never evolve?"_

 _Eon shook her head once again. "I'm going to go to Treasure Town and join the famous Wigglytuff Guild. I'm going to go exploring and maybe find some confidence along the way. I…think if I go out and see this world, I might become stronger. Less timid. So I'm leaving. This year, before the summer ends. Possibly in a couple of days if I can pack enough."_

 _This couldn't have come at a worse time. I was mortified when Eon said that, so much so that I couldn't even respond. What was even worse was what she said after that._

" _I want you to come with me Elvin," Eon said. "The most famous explorers will usually form teams and I want to as well. So will you come with me Elvin? We can go off, see the world, learn some new things. And maybe even…"_

 _Eon shifted around a bit until she held out her old Relic Fragment in her paws. The one who's design is currently on her blue scarf. "You remember this thing right? My Relic Fragment? Nobody in this village knows anything about it. Nobody knows anything. But it has to unlock some sort of secret. I want us to discover that secret. I know we can do it!" Eon put the Relic Fragment back. "So Elvin, please. Please! Will you run away and form a team with me?"_

 _It took me a couple seconds to respond; both because I was still mortified about what she suggested and because I wanted to talk her out of it. After attempting to choose my words carefully I decided to finally talk for the night._

" _Yes Eon, I would be happy to form a team with you," I said, "however, I agree with the elders on this one. I think that we should wait until we evolve. I mean, that's the rule of the village and rules exist for a reason. When we both evolve though, I'll be happy to form an exploration team with you."_

 _Eon looked despondent. "Elvin," she said. She looked back up at me. "I told you before, I can't wait. I'm the weakest one of us. I need to get stronger and I think the guild training will help. Besides, what do the rules matter anyways? They never explain why we shouldn't leave the village or why we should be afraid of outsiders. I've read about the accomplishments Pokémon who were eevee did. Like there's the eevee Vui herself helped save the world with a team. I might not be able to carry that kind of legacy, but I at least want to be out there."_

" _Eon, if the elders want us to stay here until we evolve then who are we to question it?" I asked, much more sharply. I was losing control of myself at this point and I didn't think as rationally as usual. The only thoughts I had were to keep Eon from leaving. "They obviously had a reason for doing what they did. We should just trust in that reason. I know you're worried about your strength and eager to get out there and explore, but if the elders want us to wait then we should respect their decision."_

" _Be honest with me. You don't think I can make it either, do you?" Eon asked._

" _Not right now, but perhaps later…" I started, but I wasn't able to finish._

 _Eon turned around and walked away. "Fine," she told me. "Don't go with me then. I'll go on my own. I'll show you all that I can make it just fine out there."_

 _That was the last I saw of her. She left that night instead of in a couple of days like she planned to._

"Well…I'll admit she proved me wrong," Elvin finished. "However, I wish things hadn't gone this way. Despite how things did end up going in the end, I still wish that she had stayed, that she didn't feel the need to run away. Both her parents and I were worried about her the moment she disappeared. You couldn't imagine both the surprise and relief we felt when we heard that she was fine."

"So the reason why I don't want to tell Eon what happened? Because of how badly it affected me. I'm worried about how it'll affect her. I wasn't able to think rationally because of what I learned and I made the greatest mistake of my life. I don't want her to go through the same thing until she's older. The Elders were right to want to keep this from us until we evolve."

"So, that's your reason then?" Shaymin asked, his voice mostly neutral. "You want to protect her from the demons of the past. Is that it?"

"At least until she evolves," Elvin said with a nod. "Then I'd be happy to tell her, or her parents could as well. But until then…"

"Alright, but I just have one question," Shaymin said. "I get that you don't want to tell her until you think she's ready. I can understand that reasoning, sure. But just one thing. Does evolution really have anything to do with maturity? Just because Eon is still an eevee, does that really mean she's not ready to learn the truth of this place's past? It's like Axle said: 'Eon is stronger than you know.' She's…been through a lot and carries a lot of weight on her shoulders."

"So you do think I'm wrong then?" Elvin asked, his ears lowering and his head facing to the ground.

"Yes…and no," Shaymin said. "I understand you Elvin. You're a protector. You want to keep Pokémon you care for safe, both physically and mentally. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Some Pokémon need a protector like you. But Eon's not a Pokémon that wants to be kept safe and coddled from the world. She wants to explore the world and discover all of its secrets, both the good and the bad. And she wants someone next to her to help her through that."

"So, you want me to tell her?" Elvin asked.

"Tell her or don't tell her, that's your choice, but don't let the reason you're keeping the information from her be for her protection," Shaymin answered. "I'll leave you with that."

Shaymin gave Elvin a one-eyed smirk. "I've got myself a date to listen in on. How long do you think I can stay hidden without them noticing me?"

After that, Shaymin took off the ground running and flew into the air. Elvin looked into the air with his mouth hanging open. "Did…Shaymin just flip from being serious to…that?" Elvin asked. "I…" he shook his head. "Never mind. I have more important things to focus on at the moment."

"'Eon is stronger than you know.' 'Don't let my reason for keeping the truth from her be her protection.' I…don't know what to make of that." Elvin shook his head. "I can emphasize with her wanting to know the truth, but she doesn't understand the weight of what that truth is or how it affects her position now. If she were to hear I fear how she could react. So…"

Then Elvin remembered Shaymin's words. _Eon's…been through a lot and carries a lot of weight on her shoulders._

 _No, I should stop,_ Elvin thought. _Stop and realize something. Eon has changed. That much should be evident if I just stopped looking at her like that shy girl I knew her as. Her willingness to vocalize her thoughts should be evident of that. The Eon I knew wouldn't have told off all the elders like she did._

… _I have decided. I need more information before I can fully decide whether to confide this secret to her. And I know where to get that information._

The picture of the riolu he saw with her flashed through Elvin's mind before he turned in the direction Eon and Axle ran and sprinted after them.


	7. Elvin and Axle's Chat

Elvin ran quickly until he saw the team walking along in front of him. The silver eevee than sped up until he finally got within shouting distance of the team. With that, while still running, he yelled out at the top of his lungs.

"HEY! I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!"

The riolu, eevee, and shaymin looked back at the noise, giving Elvin the chance to catch up to them. When he did, Elvin quickly lowered his head to the ground and panted for a couple of seconds, catching his breath. After those seconds ticked by, he looked back at the trio to see them all looking at him.

"A-Axle I need to talk to you," Elvin said. "Alone would be preferable."

Axle crossed his arms and looked at Elvin for a few seconds. Elvin resisted the temptation to take a step back at Axle's gaze, his glaring red eyes making him nervous. Despite the few seconds that passed, to Elvin it felt like minutes passed by.

"I suppose so," Axle said. "You know this place better than I do, so I'll let you lead the way."

Elvin nodded. "Then follow me," he said.

Elvin walked off with Axle following him. They both walked off around town for a bit until they reached a certain house. Elvin nodded in Axle's direction to assure him that it was ok before putting a silver paw on the tree's door and walking in. The room was designed with a night patterned wallpaper, with only the same poster that was in both the Town Hall and Eon's house breaking the black color, and sitting in a chair was an umbreon.

"Elder Umbreon," Elvin said when he walked in. "May we come in. We need a place to talk alone."

Elder Umbreon looked down. "Hmm…Elvin," Umbreon said. "Sure, come in. Upstairs is available. I'll be sure to keep away anyone who might come by."

Elvin bowed. "Thank you, sir."

"Don't worry about it," Elder Umbreon said. "Now you two go. I've got some things I need to be doing."

Elvin and Axle both walked upstairs. While walking upstairs, Elvin noticed Axle's constant looking around the area and the disappointment on his face. He wasn't able to ask about it, though luckily for him Axle was perfectly fine talking to him about it after they reached upstairs.

"Not much variety within the houses around here, is there?" Axle asked.

"Well they are all built from trees" Elvin said, "so…"

"Yeah, I supposed that doesn't leave you much room for variety," Axle agreed. "Still, I can't imagine how difficult it is to keep all the houses straight. Especially since you can just walk into any house you want."

"That's why most of us keep some sort of flair to our houses," Elvin explained. "Some sort of decoration or something to tell us which houses are which. Like as you saw below, Elder Umbreon has a night wallpaper in his house. Leif and Myst have their carpet to tell anyone whose home that is. Stuff like that is in every home. So the only thing you need to know to tell you whose house you're in is to know their taste in furniture."

"I supposed you also must have a pretty good memory as well to not mix things up," Axle suggested.

"I think you for the complement," Elvin said with a bow. "Though let's get off the subject of our home decorations for now. I brought you here for another reason."

"Yes, you wanted to talk about something," Axle said, crossing his arms. "I'm going to warn you, though, if you're going to try to talk me out of finding the truth about this town with Eon, then you're not going to succeed."

Elvin's ears and head lowered. "No…I have no plans on it." He shook his head. "I understand why you would think that, but that wasn't my intention at all. I…just wish to know." Elvin faced back up at Axle.

"Axle…you need to understand that Eon was my best friend. She was my closest friend back when she lived at the village with me. Eon was one of the few that treated me like myself despite the fact that I'm both a shiny and the son of a village elder. Despite all the special treatment I got she didn't treat me any different. As such, I care about her wellbeing. However…that was the old Eon."

"Eon has changed. I don't know how or why, but she has changed. Don't misunderstand me, my feelings for her haven't changed, after all she's gone through so much just to go to my Evolution Ceremony, but I feel…let out. So Axle, could you please tell me? I want to understand what Eon's been through. I want to know who Eon is now. And I feel you're the best one to help me with that."

"You really want to know, don't you?" Axle asked.

"If it's any consolation for you, depending on your answer I might tell you guys the village's secret," Elvin said.

"Bribery huh?" Axle asked. "How do you know this won't backfire? What makes you sure I won't make something up to make sure Eon gets to know the truth?"

"First off, I'm sure Eon wouldn't have befriended you if you were that type of Pokémon," Elvin pointed out. "No matter how much Eon changes, I'm sure her integrity will never change. Second, you must understand that I only ask this to make sure Eon is ready. Bribing you wasn't my intent."

"…I was kidding," Axle said with a sigh.

 _Then you might have wanted to look less serious while saying that,_ Elvin thought, though kept his thought to himself.

"I'll tell you what we've been through," Axle said. "I suppose as Eon's old friend, you deserve to know. But I'm only going to tell you my part of the story. Eon's part is her's to tell for as long as she is here."

"That's understandable," Elvin said with a bow. "Thank you for telling me what you know anyways."

Axle nodded before looking into the sky. "It all started one day on a lone beach below Treasure Town…"

"…and that's what's happened since I met Eon in a nutshell," Axle finished. "There you go. Did that help you understand her better?"

Elvin, previously sitting down and looking to the floor, looked back up at those words. The eevee tried to say something, but he really couldn't find his voice at first. It took him a few more seconds before he could finally speak.

"So…that's what she's been through," Elvin said. "I…wow."

Elvin started laughing like a maniac. He nearly fell to the floor with his loud, boisterous laughter. And the laughter just wouldn't stop, as it went on and on. Axle gave Elvin a confused glance, like the eevee had gone insane.

"Are you ok?" Axle asked.

"Sorry," Elvin apologized as he finally tried to calm down his laughter. "It's just…" Elvin took a deep breath. "I'm feeling…it's kinda strange how much they don't talk about when it comes to what you guys did. And…I don't know. I feel odd now knowing these things."

"I mean, for example, you're a human from the future. Not only from the future, but a future that no longer exists. That's mind blowing, and honestly I'm not completely sure I believe you. Yet anyways. I have no reason not to believe you, but the idea is just…mind blowing for lack of a better term. What makes you so sure of that yourself? I mean, you said you have amnesia, so…"

"Well, aside from the fact that both Dusknoir and Grovyle knew of a human with my name and abilities and I was sure that I am a human," Axle said. "When I saw the future, I felt some sort of strange recognition. I knew that place. It looked familiar to me, despite the fact that it didn't make sense at the time. And when I learned the truth, when Dusknoir told me that I was Grovyle's partner from the future, it just…made sense."

"That…and I disappeared when we changed the future so…"

"Yeah, I suppose that's evidence enough," Elvin said. "Sorry for doubting you, it's just so…unbelievable. But you…did disappeared did you? And Eon…"

Axle looked away. "…I still don't know exactly what happened when I was gone," Axle said. "Eon told me later that I was gone an entire year but she never went into details over what happened that year. …I don't think she could."

"...From what I understand, Eon really relied on you," Elvin said. "You made her strong and brave. So I imagine that you're disappearance was a blow for her."

Axle crossed his arms and looked away silently. Despite the fact that he kept as stoic of a face as possible, Elvin could see something within the corners of the riolu's eyes. A tinge of sadness that the riolu tried hard to hide.

 _You must really care for her, Axle,_ Elvin thought. _And in that case, you must be sure that she's ready to hear the truth. …Alright Axle, I trust you. I know what Eon's gone through is just about as bad as what I could tell her and I know that you'll be with her. So…I suppose I no longer have any excuse for keeping the truth away from her. Eon…I'm sorry for taking so long and hiding the truth from you. You're ready._

"Axle?" Elvin asked. Axle faced him only to see Elvin was facing away. "…Could you please go to Eon? Tell her…I'm ready to tell you guys the truth. I'll tell you guys why the village is so afraid of outsiders."

"Changed your mind did you?" Axle asked.

"Yes, you have me convinced," Elvin said. "I want the three of you to meet me on the east side of the town. There I'll tell you everything."

"Sure but…why the three of us exactly?" Axle asked. "Isn't this a secret mostly for Eon's ears only? Shaymin and I are outsiders."

"I want you to be there for her when I tell her," Elvin said. "Eon's position still makes me reluctant to tell her. That and it is a dark secret. So I want you to support her when she learns the secret. Would you do that?"

"Of course," Axle answered.

"Thanks." Elvin walked for the exit of the room. "Remember, bring Eon to the east side of the village. I'll…meet you there."


	8. The Eeveelutions' Secret

"So Elvin will really show us then?" Eon asked while she, Axle, and Shaymin were all walking towards where Elvin told them to go. "That's…great I guess."

Axle looked back at Eon and noticed her nervousness. "You don't to be worried. No matter what you learn, it won't change anything. If anything, it might help us work for the trust of the villagers easier."

"I…know it's just…" Eon looked back for a bit. "I guess now that I'm finally learning the truth…I'm a little nervous. I mean, this is a big secret and Elvin was afraid about it for a reason. I guess now that I'm about to learn…a part of me doesn't want to."

"So in other words, Eon's Anticipation is making her shudder," Shaymin joked. "Good to know."

"You're not helping Shaymin," Eon groaned. "And I don't even have that ability."

"Then how about this?" Shaymin asked with a wink. "Don't worry about the past. It can't hurt you. You can learn from it though, and use it to create a better future. At least that's what I think anyways."

"You've grown strong, Eon," Axle said. "Elvin's finally knows that. I'm sure you're ready to hear this."

"Yeah, you're right," Eon said with a nod. "I never said I wasn't going to go through with it. I just said I was a little nervous. But…" Eon closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I need to go through with this. It's time to finally learn my tribe's history. It's time to finally learn why they hate outsiders, why I was banished for running away. Even if we can't use it to convince them that not all outsiders are bad, at least we can know."

"Glad you are ready," a voice in front of them said. The trio looked up to see Elvin waiting for them. "Because I'm not really. Though I made a promise and I'm at least willing to go through with it."

"Thanks for finally telling me Elvin," Eon said as they walked up to him.

"…No problem Eon," Elvin said with a sigh. "Alright, I need you three to follow me. There…I'll show you the truth."

Elvin turned around and began walking forward. Team Aura followed closely behind him and the four of them walked through the village for a while. Elvin lead them to the outside of the village and through some trees until they reached what looked to be a graveyard hidden through the trees. Eon looked surprised when they reached the graveyard, yet Elvin continued going. So Eon and the rest of them followed him through the graveyard.

"So what exactly are we doing here?" Eon asked. "This is just our graveyard."

"Eon, he's obviously just setting the scene," Shaymin joked. "Don't you know how this works?"

"Well…Shaymin's half right," Elvin said. "But there's more to it than that. Eon, have you ever looked at any of the gravestones here?"

"No of course not!" Eon said. "I barely ever came here in the first place, let alone actually look at the gravestones! …Why?"

Elvin looked at the gravestones and sighed. "I suppose I should just tell you. Let's just get this over with." Elvin looked at the trio. "…Axle, you noticed this when you first came here: how vacant the village is despite its size. …And you're right to find that odd. A lot of us actually ask this question when they're young."

"I didn't," Eon admitted. "I just assumed that we had more houses than we needed for anyone new that came into the village or for when some of us kids grew up and wanted our own place. I never really thought of it."

"No," Elvin said, shaking his head and looking sorrowful. "From what I've been told, this village actually used to be pretty large. Like, there used to be eeveelutions everywhere. Imagine the center of the town, only everywhere, and you've pretty much got how it looks. From what I've been told anyways, I haven't actually seen it for myself."

"I suspected as much," Axle said, crossing his arms. "When I asked that, you paused for a second. I guessed that there was something behind the lack of population. …A lot of Pokémon died here, is that it?"

Elvin cringed before looking towards the gravestones. "Well…not here. It was about a couple generations ago. Before that we were a secluded village, cut off from the rest of the world. It's sort of similar to how we are now, thinking about it. Then one day, we were found. A few explorers came here and found this village. They met with the elders at that time and eventually our village became connected with the first explorer's town."

"First explorer's town?" Axle asked.

"There was a town before Treasure Town," Eon explained. "It was close to where the Treasure Town is now, just a bit to the east if memory serves me correctly. It was where the first Exploration Bases were. It didn't really last long though, as the Exploration Team Federation retooled how explorations teams and explorers operated. It was after that when stuff like Treasure Town and Wigglytuff's Guild came to be."

"At that time, being an explorer became a sort of fad," Elvin continued. "The world was all mysterious and exciting and exploring it sounded like it'd be fun and amazing. Especially for eevee. As you know, eevee have so much potential in the fact that they have so many options of what they can evolve into. 7 different types currently known and rumors of many more possibilities if we can just find out how to achieve them. A new explorer looking to start a team would come here all the time to recruit an eevee so that they could evolve later into something that helped the team cover their weaknesses. It'd be an easy way to form an early team, with the idea that once the team was complete, the eevee could evolve into something really helpful to their team. That was the thought of most of the early explorers anyways."

Elvin chuckled, though it was a dry and painful chuckle. "It's funny actually. We eevee have so much potential, yet that blessing turned into a curse for us."

"Wait…are you saying…?" Eon asked.

"They were young and naïve," Elvin said. "So…a lot of them, especially our younger generation. A lot of them died. From what I was told we would sometimes have an entire week where every day a new body was brought back to our village. Assuming they were found in the first place. Many weren't from what I was told."

Elvin stopped for a second, letting what he said sink in to the three explorers. Axle crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought and Shaymin kept his eyes on Elvin with only a thoughtful expression showing his understanding of what was going on. Eon looked the most visibly effected, though. She looked to the ground, her ears flopped, and she pawed gently into the ground.

"Exploration teams had a very bad start," Eon admitted, still looking to the ground. "When they started they really didn't know what they were doing. They tried to model it of the Rescue Team Federation from far away, but there was a lot more they needed to do be prepared for. So things went badly for so many teams. At least…that's what I heard. I…haven't done a lot of research on it, since it churned my stomach every time I looked at it, but I know it happened. That's why the Exploration Team Federation decided to retool how they did things. That's why the fee for entry as an Exploration Team is so large and why guilds are the easiest way of getting in; to encourage new explorers to join a guild instead of trying it on their own."

"Unfortunately, it was too little, too late," Elvin said. "The damage was already done. So the elders of that time decided to make their own rules. First off, they drove off and excluded all outsiders to keep them from coming back. Second they made a rule. Eevee aren't allowed to leave the village until they're ready to evolve and aren't allowed to leave the forest until they have evolved. This was to prevent others from making the same mistake."

"…So that's why then?" Axle asked. "Because of what happened."

"It's not only just that," Elvin said. "I'm…going to be honest with you guys. We're a dying village. A female eevee is born for every seven male eevee and not all of them will want to stay in the village. It's possible…a couple of generations later, this village might not exist anymore. Or if it does then it'll be populated by outsiders."

Elvin looked at Team Aura. "So…honestly, that's why outsiders are hated. It's thanks to outsiders and the original Exploration Teams that this village is dying. I'm…sorry I had to tell you this but…"

"So what do you think?" Axle asked.

"I…don't believe the explorers were directly at fault for what happened," Elvin said after a bit of hesitation. "Rather, I believe it was a combination of both our and the original explorers naivety. Especially after seeing you three, knowing what you've done as Explorers, and after hearing about how the Federation itself tried to fix their mistake. That's what Elder Umbreon believes too."

Elvin looked at all three of them. "But you three have to understand, we're in the minority. To most of the village, outsiders shouldn't be allowed. You've seen the glares you've gotten. To those that know of our history, Eon is a dead eevee. And Shaymin and Axle? You both are the ones who killed her. If not now, it's only a matter of time. That's the common interpretation."

"But that's not true!" Eon yelled. She had her head and ears back up and her eyes were open with determination. "We graduated from Wigglytuff's Guild! We saved the world twice! How can they possible think that?"

"Because they don't have any proof otherwise," Shaymin said. All eyes went to him, most of them in surprise. Shaymin nodded, knowing he had the center of attention, then jumped to the sky and floated above all them before he continued.

"Let's recap what's going on here," Shaymin said. "This village has had a bad history with explorers. Honestly, I can't blame them, but that's beside the point. Because of that, the Elders here made a rule that you can't leave the village unless you evolve. Eon broke that rule, so they pretty much think of her as dead. But she didn't. Obviously she's still here. Now the Elders want her to evolve to keep the kids from thinking they can do what she did. So they're going to re-introduce Eon as an evolved Pokémon before Elvin's ceremony."

"As for the villagers, they see Eon's act of leaving as an act of betrayal. This village is dying Eon is a potential female to help it either grow or at least keep it going longer until they have a lucky year with enough females to revitalize the village's population. That pretty much sum things up?"

"I suppose so," Elvin said. "Though I wouldn't necessarily call Eon's only worth to breed for a new generation."

"Your chivalry aside, now that we know what we're dealing with, it's time to figure out what we're going to do," Shaymin said. "Well leader? I believe this is your job now."

Axle stepped back and leaned one foot against a tree behind him. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms, thinking about things for a few seconds. While in that state, he decided to talk to the rest of his team and Elvin.

"So we came here to discover why the villagers don't trust us," Axle said. "We know now and…honestly it's going to be hard to gain the villagers' trust. Any attempt and they'll just assume we're trying to recruit new members from the eevee here. Even…though we already have an eevee in our team."

"I wish I could help you myself," Elvin said. "I might be an Elder's son, but I don't have that much power. Even as an Elder, I wouldn't be able to do anything. As I said before, you guys need to find a way to change their hearts."

"For now, I suppose we'll just have to win our battle," Axle said. "It'll at least accomplish two things. First off, we'll be allowed to come back. If we're all exiled from the town, then there's no way we can possibly convince them that outsiders aren't here to hurt them. Second, it'll be a way to prove Eon's strength. After all, if our team can beat this village's strongest, then it proves that Explorers are different now. It won't completely work, and I'm sure some will still hate us, but it will at least help a little bit."

"We still shouldn't stop trying to get them to trust us though," Eon said. "I don't want to just do nothing until the day our battle comes."

"Pfft, apparently we're going to go the boring route then," Shaymin complained. "Fine fine. Besides, I'm sure the villagers will warm up to me eventually! Heck, how about I go off and greet some more villagers now! That'll help!" With that in mind, Shaymin flew off back in the direction of the village.

"…Well, we're screwed," Axle said, watching him go.


	9. Nighttime Talks

With their various resolutions in mind, Team Aura spend the next few days preparing for their battle at the end of the week. While getting ready for their battle, they did all do their best to try to get the villagers to be less suspicious of the team, but they didn't get much progress on that. Axle, Eon, and Shaymin all tried their best, but aside from doing one or two odd jobs they were mostly ignored.

It was two days before Elvin's Ceremony when Eon finally let out her frustrations in her house. Axle was on the bottom steps of the staircase watching everything, Eon was in the main entryway along with her father, and he knew Shaymin and Myst were both in the kitchen getting dinner done.

"Why are the villagers so stubborn!" Eon yelled as she stomped around in the house. "Why can't they figure out that we're not here to hurt them?!"

"Calm down, Eon," Leif commanded. "I know it's hard, but stomping around the house isn't going to change anything."

Eon stopped her stomping and let out a deep breath. "Sorry dad," Eon apologized. "I just...there's only a few days left until Elvin's ceremony. After that, whether we win or not, we're going to have to go back to Treasure Town and get back to our exploring. Even if we win and are able to come back when we want, I still don't want to leave knowing that everyone still hates us."

"Elvin did say it would take a while," Axle mentioned. "I didn't expect things would be easy."

"Still, what are we going to do now?" Eon asked. "This obviously isn't going to work. So what now?"

"Keep doing what we're doing, I guess," Axle said with a shrug. "Sorry Eon, I don't think I'm much help here. I was never good at interacting with other Pokémon. Besides, I'm more focused on making sure we win our fight. Getting the villagers to trust us doesn't really matter if we can never come back here."

Eon's ears lowered and she let a loud moan. "I suppose I'll just sleep on it," Eon said in a defeated voice. She moved towards the staircase and Axle. "Excuse me Axle."

Axle moved over on the stairs to allow the eevee to walk up the steps. He looked back at her for a few seconds before turning back to the main entry way. Axle shook his head and crossed his arms, yet his expression remained the same emotionless expression that the riolu usually had on his face.

"Is she going to be ok?" Leif asked Axle.

"She's your daughter," Axle reminded him. "Wouldn't you know better than me if she'll be ok?"

"…" Leif sighed. "Never mind. Forget I asked."

"Eon is just fine," Axle said. "She's a little burnt out, but she's otherwise fine. She's just frustrated, and it's sort of understandable why. I can't imagine what it's like to go back to your hometown, the place you spent your childhood, only to find the entire population hates you. She's not the type to let something like this lay either. This is going to bug her until she either finally lets it go or gets what she wants."

"…I…suppose some things never change," Leif said. "Eon was always like that." Axle noticed both the tone of Leif's voice and the sad look on his face and understood exactly where he was going with that.

"Leif, I'm going to be honest with you," Axle said. "When I first came to this world, I was a nobody with nothing but a name that meant nothing to anybody. Not only that, but I was a human in a Pokémon's world. I could have very easily just been a wanderer or a loon. But I wasn't thanks to one thing. Your daughter finding me."

"Granted a part of it was me helping her, but she didn't really judge me for what I said. She found it strange, but she accepted me. We formed a team together and she gave me a home. Two homes actually, since our base now operates out of the home she made for herself in Treasure Town. Without her I would have been a nobody. Thanks to her, I'm now a famous explorer."

"So I don't really care whether you hate her or not for running away to become an explorer. It was thanks to her that I have a life. That I figured out who I was. I owe her more than I can ever repay her for and that wouldn't have happened had she not run away from home."

After that speech Axle realized his face scrunch up in determination, his paws balled up in fists, and he was standing on the steps he was previously sitting on. Axle quickly sat down and brought his face back to his usual emotionless expression, though his body refused him in flatting out his fists. He crossed his arms though, so his fists were hidden from view.

"I…don't…I'm sorry, I've given you the wrong impression," Leif said. "I don't hate her. I could never hate her. She's my only daughter. And I am proud of what she has accomplished. It's just…difficult."

"I didn't mean to imply anything," Axle said quickly. "I just want you to know, no matter what you think about what she did, no matter how 'difficult' or complicated it is, I can never thank her enough for how much she's done."

"But hey, we can still compromise," said a voice from the kitchen. Axle and Leif both looked in that direction to see Shaymin walking out of the kitchen.

"Don't forget Axle, as much as Eon running away from home let you find your mate, you gotta see it from Leif and Myst's perspective too," Shaymin continued. "Heck, it's the same with the entire village. To Leif and Myst, Eon could have gotten hurt or worse by leaving the village. The fact that she didn't is honestly kinda lucky if you think of it. So to Leif and Myst, they get to see their daughter back and alive and even as a hero, but that's after years of assuming the worst."

"And it's even worse for the rest of the village, since this could inspire the younger Pokémon to try and do what Eon did," Axle said with disinterest in his voice. "Yeah, I know. We've been told already. It's a complicated situation for everybody."

"I guess that information would be better for Eon than you," Shaymin admitted with a nod. "After all, she's the one who's struggling with this. It'll be hard alright, getting the villagers to like her again. Those that were neutral on her before probably hate her, some who liked her might feel betrayed, and it's only those that knew her really well that still like her."

"Like Elvin and Sparx," Axle mumbled. "Those two are still on her side. …Mostly anyways."

"And no matter what, we're Eon's parents and we're still on her side," Myst said as she walked into the room too. "So Axle, would you mind reminding her of that when you call her down to eat?"

"I'll be sure to do that Myst," Axle said. He looked between her and the leafeon. "But if you two would be willing to remind her yourself with your actions as well, that would also help. I know we don't spend much time around here or around you, but use the time we have. If I've learned anything about Eon, she reacts to actions better than words."

Without waiting for a response from the two, Axle walked upstairs to get Eon. He slowly walked towards the room Eon was sleeping in and walked in. There he saw Eon lying in her straw bed with her eyes closed. Axle paused for a second, but a quick aura sense told him that Eon wasn't sleeping.

"Hey, Eon," Axle said softly.

"…Hi Axle," Eon said with a sigh. She opened her eyes and lifted her head up to look at the riolu. "Sorry about running out on you earlier."

"I know it's frustrating," Axle said with a nod. "Even though I don't know what it's like to be in your situation, I can tell it's really bothering you."

Eon faced away. "I don't know what I expected," she admitted. "I knew, from the time I ran away, that I wouldn't be able to come back. That's why I never went back to visit my family after we formed our team. But…when Elvin told me he would help me come back, I hoped I would be able to come back like it's normal. Then when I learned why outsiders are hated I hoped that'd help me explain myself to everyone and they'd be less suspicious of us. But no. Neither of them happened. Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that I still want to see Elvin's evolution ceremony, I'd go home right now and forget this ever happened."

"You know, you've still got Shaymin and me on your side," Axle said. "That, and from here you have your parents and Elvin."

"I…guess," Eon said. "But I'm just…I guess I'm scared Axle. I'm so so close, I'm right here in my village again, but I can't convince anybody. I always imagined myself coming back here and telling all my old friends stories of my adventures, but right now, that doesn't look like it's going to happen."

"Are you giving up?" Axle asked.

Eon shook her head. "I want to, but I can't. I have to give it everything I've got. That way…even if I fail, I know that I at least did my best."

Axle nodded himself. "And just remember, no matter what, I'll be here for you. Even if the world hates you, you'll always have me by your side."

"Thanks Axle." Eon shook her head one last time before getting up off her stomach and turning to face Axle. "But enough about me and my worries. How are you doing with the battle preparations?"

Axle crossed his arms. "For now, I only have one guess on who we're facing."

"You think it's Sparx, right?" Eon asked. "Are you sure about that?"

"I'm not sure on anything right now, but the elders were looking for him the day after our challenge was issued, so I doubt it's a coincidence," Axle said. "So I'm betting on him being one of our opponents. Either way, planning for a jolteon isn't exactly a bad idea."

"I suppose so," Eon said with a nod. "Got any other ideas? Learn anything while walking through the town?"

Axle shook his head. "I can give a guess, but I don't know. I'd imagine at least one of the elders will fight, but that doesn't really narrow anything down. And if you don't really know which villagers we could be fighting, then I wouldn't know. If I can narrow it down, then I will, but until then I have to be ready for anything. Which, well…you can imagine how that's going."

"Do you think we could lose?" Eon questioned.

Axle lowered his arms to his side. "Not if I can help it," he said resolutely. "I won't lie to you, it'll be difficult. It's two basic and a Mystical Pokémon against three fully evolved. But we've been through worse. And we'll make it through somehow. We always do."

Eon smiled and nodded. "Thanks Axle. I needed to hear that."

Figuring he was done with what he needed to do, Axle turned around and walked to the doorway. Before he left, though, Axle said, "Oh, by the way, dinner is ready. So if you want to eat, you can head downstairs."

Eon's thoughts kept her awake most of the night. She got little patches of sleep here and there, but she wasn't able to keep sleeping for too long. Eventually she temporarily gave up and stood up in her bed. She paced around her empty room for a few seconds until she heard some noise coming from downstairs. Eventually she heard the front door open and close, indicating that someone went outside.

 _Who…was that?_ Eon asked herself.

She felt herself unconsciously exiting her room and walking into the hallway outside of the rooms. There, she walked to the stairway, looking at it with curiosity as to who left. A quick glance to the boys' room told her it was neither Shaymin nor Axle, as they were both asleep in their beds.

 _Then…that means,_ Eon thought. She took one last look into the boys' room before walking downstairs.

She quickly walked through the entry way and went out of her house herself. When she got out she saw her father just a few yards away, walking slowly through the town. Eon stopped for a few seconds, standing there surprised, before deciding to follow him from a distance. They both walked through the village for a while, seeing no other eeveelutions walking around in the night, until they reached outside of the town. Eventually the leafeon stopped at a small pond and sat down right on the shore, looking at his reflection.

Eon stood back, watching her father with curiosity. He just sat there for a long amount of time without talking. Eon couldn't understand what he was doing there or why. She had half a mind to walk up and ask him, but she stayed there for a couple more minutes. Eventually though, she didn't need to.

"Eon, is that you?" her father suddenly asked.

Eon let out a peep in surprise. Leif turned back and looked at Eon with what she perceived as a somewhat sad gaze. The eevee, her position known, decided to do what she wanted to do in the first place and walk up to her father's side.

"Dad, what are you doing out here so late at night?" Eon asked.

Leif looked back in the pond. "I'm just…thinking Eon," he said. "I'm sorry if I worried you."

"I guess I know the feeling," Eon said, looking out over the pond as well. "You picked a good spot though. I…" Eon looked around for a bit, "I think I used to come here all the time to think when I was a kid. It's got a nice view and it's so quiet around here."

"Was this where you made the decision to leave the village?" Leif asked.

Eon's head lowered. "I…yes it was," Eon admitted. "I thought long and hard about it. I knew the risks. I… knew what could happen if I did. But…" Eon looked to the sky, "I had to leave. The thought exploring around the world, seeing new places, finding new discoveries, and maybe even getting some long lost treasures, just…I couldn't pass up the chance. I don't regret it either. I've had so much fun exploring."

"What was the last adventure you guys went on?" Leif asked. Eon looked at him in surprise. "Just curious."

"Well, we last went on an exploration of this cave," Eon said. "It was a really dark and hard to navigate through. But at the end of it there was these walls of such clear rocks that you could see your reflection in them. And the small amount of light that poured through just reflected off all of them making the place so bright and beautiful. Even Axle looked at the place in awe. Though what was really surprising was at the end. There was a treasure box there filled with Perfect Apples. So, since our old guildmaster really likes Perfect Apples, we decided to donate the treasure to the guild."

"Is that safe?" Leif asked. "Who knows how long that treasure could have been there."

"Yeah, it's perfectly fine," Eon said with a nod. "Perfect Apples are a bit of a strange thing. For some reason, they never go bad. A Perfect Apple will always be fresh no matter how long has passed. In fact, this treasure proved that not only can they be preserved for months, but this treasure could be hundreds of years old. Yet the Perfect Apples were just as good as any of the ones the guild has in stock. It was an amazing discovery."

"Sounds like you had fun," Leif said.

"Yeah," Eon said. "We even each got a Perfect Apple for our troubles. This was actually the first time we were ever given one and I can honestly see why Wigglytuff likes them so much. They were so delicious. It's too bad none grow around here. I wouldn't mind having those apples more often."

"Glad to hear it," Leif said. He looked away, face falling a bit. Leif sighed before speaking again. "Eon, we need to talk."

"Talk?" Eon asked.

"Well…more like I need to apologize to you." Leif looked at Eon directly. "Eon, ever since you've gotten back we haven't really talked. After the first day I've been mostly avoiding you. When you were searching for info on what happened in our past, I didn't help you. While you're trying to get the rest of the villagers to accept you and no longer ignore you, I've been ignoring you. As a father, I haven't been doing a good job."

"Eon…listen. I have…a confession."

"A confession?" Eon asked.

Leif looked up. "You know our history now, right? Well then you should know something else. …My father and your grandfather was one of them. He left this village for fame and glory, leaving his still young son alone to fend for himself. …It wasn't even a week until we heard the news of his fate."

"When Elvin told us he was going to try and bring you back, and when you came back, I wasn't as happy as your mother was. I mean, I should have been happy, knowing that my daughter was going to return back to me, but I couldn't. Especially after you refused to evolve. I knew that it would only be temporary and you'd leave once again. And I couldn't bear to see you leave again with the thought that this could be the last time I see you. That one day Elvin will come back with the same news that I heard all those years ago."

"I…" Eon stuttered out. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I can't apologize for what happened to the village in the past. Nor can I apologize for what the explorers did. But the Exploration Society has tried to fix how things work. Most Explorers go through the guilds now, which help young explorers learn before they go off exploring in dangerous places on their own. When I ran away, that's why I went to Wigglytuff's Guild. I wouldn't have been able to become an explorer otherwise."

"And I…Axle and I have saved the world twice, so I figure it worked," Eon said bashfully.

Leif looked over his daughter as she talked. When she finished he said his part. "…Eon, I wish I could take your word for it. I want to believe you. But…"

Leif turned around and began walking away from the lake. "I need proof. I need proof that you'll be fine. And…in order to do that…I'll…I'll…"

Leif turned around once again to face Eon. "I'll be one of the Pokémon you're facing tomorrow."

"Y-you?!" Eon asked. "You're…you…dad, why?!"

"To be honest, the Elders asked both your mother and I," Leif explained. "They wanted one of us to fight you guys. Your mother obviously refused but…I couldn't. I told you, I need proof. I need to see with my own eyes that you'll be fine outside of this forest."

Leif looked away. "So…tomorrow…I want you to give me everything you've got. You and your friends. I want your team tomorrow to beat the team I'm in. I want you to remove all doubt in my mind. I'm sorry Eon. I know how much this fight means to you, but I can't leave this well enough alone. In all honesty, if you're not strong enough, I'd rather see you never come back here then watch you come and go."

"That's…all I ask you," Leif finished. "I won't ask you to forgive your selfish father. I won't ask you to even speak to me ever again if you don't want to. But I do ask you to not hold back tomorrow."

"Dad," Eon mumbled. She shook her head. "You never did believe in me. You were always so worried about me. Constantly coddling me because of how timid I was as a kid. Sure I was always shy and nervous about things but you knew I had aspirations. You knew how much I wanted to learn about the world, how much I wanted to explore. All I needed was someone to be there by me. Someone who could push me to become stronger. Neither Elvin, Sparx, nor you could do that. You all wanted to keep me here where I was safe. You never let me go out to grow more confident."

"Axle was the first Pokémon who didn't do that. When I first met him, when we went through a dungeon for the first time, when I joined the guild with him, and even now, I could always feel an aura from him. I could feel a sort of strength from him. I knew I could count on him no matter what happened. And he didn't coddle me either. He didn't hold me back despite my timidness. Thanks to him, I'm much stronger then I was when I left the village."

Eon looked up and saw her father's eyes were on her. "Eon…do you lo…" Leif stopped before he finished and shook his head. "No, never mind. I don't deserve to know that information."

The eevee gave the leafeon a questioning glance, wondering what he was about to say, but she eventually decided to leave it alone for now. So Eon decided to walk past her father in the direction of their home. She walked a couple feet away from her father before she spoke again.

"Fine then," Eon said without facing her father. "You want proof. I'll give you proof. Tomorrow…I won't hold back at all. I'll beat you. No matter what it takes, I'll beat you. I won't lose, Axle won't lose, Shaymin won't lose. Then you'll see how strong I've grown. You'll be forced to admit how strong I've grown. Team Aura has been through so much together that we won't lose now."

"I hope for that," Leif said. "Honestly I do."

Eon shook her head. "I'm going to go home. In the morning, I'm going to tell Axle about it. We'll formulate a plan. And in the afternoon…we'll see each other. I hope you're ready then. Because it won't matter who gets in our way. Whether it's you, Sparx, or whoever else is fighting. We'll take you all down."


	10. The Battle

The battleground, a large field surrounded by wooden stands filled with eeveelutions, was set and Team Aura was waiting in one of two tents that were on both sides of the field. Eon was pacing around the room they were in, Shaymin sitting there waiting for the inevitable, and Axle was looking out the door, trying to see if he could catch a glimpse of their still mysterious third opponent.

"See anything yet, Axle?" Eon asked, stopping her pacing to give a hopeful glance in Axle's direction.

"Nope," Axle answered, still not taking his eyes away from the outside. "Sorry. Even when their tent flaps in the wind I'm still not able to see anything distinct from them. Sorry, but it's no use."

"What's it matter?" Shaymin asked. "We've got our plans, so let's stick with it!"

"Knowing would help," Axle said. "Even if we've got a plan for whatever we face, knowing for sure who we're facing would keep any surprises from popping up." Axle closed the tent flap with a swish and looked back at his teammates. "But you're right, it doesn't really matter. We just need to do what we always do."

"Improv on the seat of our tails and somehow manage to win anyways," Shaymin joked.

"Not funny, Shaymin," Eon said.

Axle looked down at the eevee and saw that, while she was done pacing around the room, she was now looking towards the floor. Axle walked closer to her and placed a paw on her shoulder to get her to notice him. Eon looked up at him and the two looked at each other without saying anything for a few seconds. Once that was done, Axle walked back to his earlier position.

Eon closed her eyes and took few deep breaths. She took her time and Axle and Shaymin let her. After those few seconds, Eon opened her eyes again, the same determination she had last night glowing in her eyes.

"Alright, I'm ready," Eon said.

"Good," Axle said with a nod. "We've still got a couple of minutes though. So steel yourself for the fight ahead."

"You sure you're going to be ok with us fighting your father?" Shaymin asked in the intermediate time.

Eon put as neutral and cold of a face as possible. "If he wants to see proof, I'll give it to him. Out there, we're no longer father and daughter. We're competitors. He's my enemy."

"Eon," Shaymin said, but before he could go any farther, a flap in the tent alerted the three of them. The three looked towards the entrance where they saw Elvin walking in.

"Are you three ready?" Elvin asked.

"About as ready as we'll ever be," Axle told the white eevee with a nod. "I don't suppose you know who the third Pokémon we'll be facing is, do you?"

Elvin shook his head. "Sorry Axle," he apologized. "They don't tell me these things. I didn't even know that Leif was fighting with them."

"It's ok Elvin," Eon said. "Anyways, what are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to make sure you guys were perfectly ready," Elvin said. "Honestly, I know you guys said you'll be fine, but I'm little nervous here. You guys are facing the strongest members of this village."

"Yeah, we know that…" Eon shook her head, "but we have to win. No matter what. We have something to prove here, to everyone. We have to prove that we're strong enough to survive on our own, that there's no danger in us being outsiders."

A horn ran across the battlefield, indicating that it was time to start. The four Pokémon in the tent all looked up into the air at the sound, though Elvin also flinched at the loud sound ringing out in the air. When the sound finally stopped, they all looked at each other.

"I guess it's your time now," Elvin said. "Good luck you guys. I'll be cheering you on from the stands."

"Thanks kid," Shaymin said with a smile.

Axle nodded to his teammates and they all moved outside of the tent. The three of them continued along their way through the sunset lit field until they reached their place in the battlefield. Axle kept an eye on the tent and waited for their enemies to come out of their tent. And eventually they did, one by one. First Sparx the jolten, second Leif the leafeon. Finally, coming out of the tent a few seconds after the two, was Elder Glaceon.

"A glaceon," Axle breathed. "Should have figured."

"You were right," Eon breathed right back to him. "They were more worried about Shaymin then you."

"Good to know," Shaymin mumbled.

"Plan B then?" Axle asked.

"Plan B," both Shaymin and Eon repeated.

The three eeveelutions all walked to their position on the other side of the field. Elder Glaceon was the first to talk when they got there. "Good evening, Team Aura," she said. "It's good to see you three made it. I hope you enjoyed your last day in the village."

Axle crossed his arms. "When you're done with petty insults. We're here to fight, not banter."

"He's right," Leif said. He glared at Glaceon. "Focus on the battle instead of your hatred." Looking back at everyone else, Leif asked. "Are you three ready?"

Eon looked at her father with a melancholy expression. "Of course we are," she said.

"Ready as we'll ever be," Axle said. "Let's just get this over with."

All six combatants got into ready positions before a loud voice rang over the battlefield, shouting "Begin!"

Shaymin took off to the sky at an instant, rushing for the other side of the field before anyone else had a chance to move. Once there, he shot a strong Energy Ball straight at Elder Glaceon. The green ball of energy hit and exploded, knocking her back a bit. The smoke eventually cleared, revealing a surprised Glaceon behind. The other two members of the opposing team also looked at the grass/flying-type in shock.

"Ha, how do you like that, huh?" Shaymin asked. "One Energy Ball, Shaymin style. Think I'm scared 'cause you're an Ice-Type? Well think again!"

 _Big talk for someone who constantly complained about this idea when we went over the plan,_ Axle thought, though he quickly discarded that thought in favor of focusing on his part of the fight.

Elder Glaceon's expression quickly changed from one of surprise to anger. "Oh, I'm sorry," she spat out. "Why don't I give you a reason to fear me?"

She shot out an Ice Beam, which Shaymin promptly flew out of the way off. "That your best shot?!" Shaymin taunted. "Gonna have to have better aim then that to hit me!"

So the ice-type continued shooting off her Ice Beams and Shaymin continued dodging them, having her full and undivided attention thanks to his taunting. While that was going on, Eon shot a Shadow Ball at Sparx and Axle threw a punch at Leif respectively. Eon's attack hit while Axle's didn't, but both attacks accomplished what they needed to. Leif now had his attention squarely on Axle whereas Sparx was rushing for Eon.

"This is an odd strategy of yours," Leif commented on while charging a Leaf Blade with his tail to hit Axle with. "What do you think you're doing anyways? You're using the worst matchups possible for this fight!"

The Leaf Blade came down vertically on Axle, but a quick step back by the riolu and he was able to dodge the attack. Axle just responded to his inquiry with a shrug after the attack was over. He also responded with a Force Palm to knock Leif back a little. Leif's defenses made it so the attack wasn't all too powerful, but Axle wasn't particularly interested in doing damage at the moment. While Leif was busy trying to hit him and while he was dodging, Axle kept a quick eye on everyone's progress.

Eon had it the worse with her matchup. She used Quick Attack to try and keep up with Sparx's natural speed, but Sparx's long range electrical options along with his natural speed made it so that Eon was at a heavy disadvantage. She tried her best to dodge, but Axle noticed that she took a couple of electrical hits from the jolteon. Axle noticed one Thunderbolt hit her square in the chest, causing her to cry out. This distracted the riolu enough for him to be hit by an X-Scissor. Axle resisted it, but the blow was a reminder for him to focus.

Axle threw a Bullet Punch at Leif, but the leafeon dodged all the blows. Leif countered with a Leaf Blade, which Axle dodged by jumping to the left side. Axle then did a couple of backflips to get his way away from Leif for a couple of seconds and check on what Shaymin was doing.

Glaceon was still stuck in Shaymin's little trap, firing Ice Beams at him while Shaymin flew around the battlefield. As this was happening, ice started appearing on the ground, especially in areas where the Ice Beam hit directly on the ground. The riolu took note of those areas before turning his attention back Leif, who was getting in range to attack Axle.

"We're done here," Leif said. "I'm sorry Axle, but you made a bad choice. You chose a physical fighter to fight the opponent with the highest defense, you chose the Pokémon weak to ice-type attacks to face the ice-type, and you chose my daughter to fight a Pokémon with a clear mobility advantage against her. What we're you thinking?"

To pound it in, Leif launched an Aerial Ace attack with his hair and tail leaves, hitting Axle strong with an unavoidable, super-effective attack. Axle flew back and slid across the ground at the attack. Axle managed to get up rather quickly, but he couldn't help but clutch his right side with his left hand in pain.

"If you're seriously what's leading the team, then I worry for my daughter even more," Leif continued. "Perhaps it's best I don't see her again. With you leading her…"

"I thought we're fighting, not talking," Axle said. He lifted his hands back up into a ready position.

Leif sighed. "You're right. I should end this now."

Axle got ready when he heard a voice coming from his right. "Alright Axle, it's time!" Shaymin yelled from somewhere.

Axle jumped a couple of leaps to the left and managed to turn Leif's attention around 90 degrees. Once there, Axle wrapped his paw in a dark claw and slashed at the leafeon. Once his attack hit, the riolu did a backflip to get out of the range of a counterattack and to keep Leif's attention towards him.

"The battle isn't over yet," Axle said. "Let me ask you Leif. Do you honestly believe we would have gotten this far if we were as bad as you think we are? Do you really think that we'd do this fight half-heartedly?"

"You haven't exactly impressed me yet," Leif said.

"This fight is one of the most important fights of Eon's life," Axle said. "We spent hours planning and preparing for this fight. So I apologize if we haven't impressed you yet but…" Axle looked over Leif's shoulder, "I get the feeling this fight's about to turn around rather quickly."

And before Leif could react, look over his shoulder, or even figure out what was going on, a bright light hit him. Axle jumped back out of the way to avoid the attack, a smirk on his face as he did so. When the light dimmed, Axle saw Leif stuck there, frozen solid in ice, hit with Elder Glaceon's Ice Beam.

"Eon, Shaymin, to me!" Axle announced.

Within a few seconds, Eon and Shaymin dropped what they were doing and regrouped back to Axle's side. While they were doing that, Axle noticed Glaceon and Sparx looking at Leif's frozen body, the former in anger and the later in surprise and worry. The riolu held back a snicker at seeing how baffled the two were at what happened.

Once Eon and Shaymin reached Axle's side, Axle commanded, "Switch. Shaymin, take Sparx. Cut his mobility with the ice. Eon, you're with me against Glaceon."

"Got it," Shaymin said, quickly flying off afterwards.

Eon nodded to Axle. "Let's do this," she said.

Taking care to avoid slipping on the patches of ice on the floor, Axle and Eon together in the direction of Elder Glaceon. The ice-type, still ticked for being tricked, responded with an Ice Beam aimed directly at the two while they were running at her. The Ice Beam was also aimed at the floor going up towards them to make it more difficult for the two to reach her.

"Eon, intercept," Axle commanded.

"Roger."

Eon charged an orb of dark energy and fired it directly towards Glaceon's mouth. The Shadow Ball hit the Ice Beam before it hit Glaceon, but the explosion of the two forces successfully covered her face and obscured her vision. Axle and Eon took this opportunity to double their speed in order to reach their opponent in time. When they both got close enough, Axle jumped into the air with the intent of hitting her with a super effective Force Palm.

At least, that was his intent. But as Axle went into the mist himself with his left arm extended he suddenly felt sharp fangs grab onto his arm. Axle was then pulled around by whatever grabbed onto his arm for a few seconds until he was thrown onto the ground and scraped himself across the floor. By then the mist was cleared, and when Axle looked up he saw Elder Glaceon glaring down at him.

"W-what?" Axle asked.

"Just because I can't see doesn't mean I can't listen," Glaceon said snidely. "Now then…"

Glaceon was suddenly interrupted by an explosion of a Shadow Ball that hit her backside. Glaceon turned around and Axle looked around her to see Eon had finished her approach and was the one who shot the Shadow Ball. The two eeveelutions glared at each other when they caught eyes.

"And just because you have Axle down doesn't mean I'm not here," Eon said.

"Fine," Glaceon growled. "I wanted to take you out anyway. The little eevee who has so endeared herself to my son. The eevee who so dreamed of seeing the world outside and tainting my son with your dreams as well. I've been so looking forward taking you out and keeping you far away from this village."

During Glaceon's little chat, Axle managed to get up onto his feet, and he took the opportunity to run to Eon's side. "I wouldn't recommend forgetting about me," Axle said.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Glaceon said. "Now then, why don't I show you just why I'm an 'Elder' here."

Glaceon lifted her head up high into the air and started to breath an icy blast of artic air swirling into the sky. The Blizzard attack continued to swirl around Glaceon until it enveloped both Axle and Eon. The two braced themselves as the swirling winds and blowing snow impacted them, cooling their bodies down and causing them both damage.

"B-brace yourself," Axle grunted. "Hold on until the Blizzard is done."

"Y-yeah, I know," Eon responded. "But it's…really strong."

"…Your right," Axle said after a quick second of thought. "We…need to stop it now. Let's go…all-out attack!"

Axle and Eon rushed forward, Axle using Bullet Punch and Eon firing off another Shadow Ball. Both attacks luckily managed to make contact with Glaceon despite the lower visibility from the blizzard and they both managed to knock her back. The Blizzard quickly stopped as Glaceon was unable to continue the attack.

"Careful Eon. She's strong," Axle said while Glaceon was still reeling.

"Think I figured that out by now," Eon responded. "Got any plans?"

"Grab her attention so I can strike and take her down quickly. We can't last a prolonged fight against her."

"Sounds about right," Eon said.

Glaceon managed to get her footing again and shot an Ice Beam straight in Axle and Eon's direction. Axle dodged to the right and Eon to the left to get away from it and Eon used the now icy floor to slide around Glaceon to her side. Once there, Eon shot a Shadow Ball straight into Glaceon's side.

Glaceon grunted and moved slightly back from the attack, but was able to hold her ground even on the icy floor thanks to her type. Eon took this as her chance to fly at Glaceon despite the ice floor slowing her down from really making an impact. Still, she was able to hit Glaceon with a powerful Return attack. Glaceon flinched slightly from the attack, but she otherwise looked unfettered.

"Give up littler girl," Glaceon said as she turned towards Eon. "That barely hurt. And you're not going to do much else on this floor. Between the two of us, we know who has the advantage."

"Doesn't matter," Eon said. She shot a close ranged Shadow Ball, who's explosion allowed Eon to slide away from Glaceon without any trouble. "The only thing that matters is what you do with the terrain you're given."

Eon looked down at the floor and started shooting multiple Shadow Balls towards the various parts of the ice to break it up. Once she got some patches of solid ground to appear, Eon used Quick Attack and jumped around through those patches of ground to get some speed. Once she got some speed, Eon jumped on the ice and slid across it to hit Glaceon with a sliding Quick Attack. This blow actually caused the Ice-Type to slide on the ice.

"That's it!" Glaceon fired another Ice Beam, this time aiming for Eon's paws. She managed to hit and Eon was frozen to the ground. "I'm done playing games with you, girl! I'll take you out now!"

Glaceon opened her mouth up and a white beam started glowing within her maw. Eon's eyes widened in fear when she realized exactly what was coming for her. A powerful Hyper Beam attack.

"Now fall already!" Glaceon yelled before launching her white beam straight in Eon's direction.

Before the attack could reach her, Axle smashed the ice around her paws with a Bullet Punch before rushing out and pushing her away from the Hyper Beam attack, wrapping his arms around her in the process, allowing them both to slide away from the attack. Despite everything though, Axle could still feel the attack graze his back.

Once they were done sliding, Axle asked, "Are you…ok Eon?"

"Rubbing across the ice isn't fun, but better than getting hit by Hyper Beam I guess," Eon responded. "Sorry you had to go from attacking her to protecting me."

Axle got off from atop Eon and turned around to face Glaceon. "No, this is perfect," Axle said. "Now that she used Hyper Beam she won't be able to move. All we need to do is take her out now. You ready?"

Eon got up and noticed something. "Axle, your back!" she gasped

Axle didn't know exactly what damage he had back there, but he could feel a stinging pain from that location. Axle shook his head though and continued his focus on Glaceon. "We don't have time Eon. It's now or never. Worry about my back after this fight."

"R-right," Eon said.

Eon charged up one more Shadow Ball while Axle backed off away from the ice a bit. Axle took off running, ignoring any pain he had, until he reached the ice. Once Axle got to the ice, Eon managed to launch her Shadow Ball and hit Glaceon hard with it. As that happened, Axle knew that running would be an exercise in futility, so he took his momentum and slid across the ice instead, left arm outstretched. His left had touched Glaceon's cold fur and, before he lost any momentum, Axle brought his right arm forward in a powerful Force Palm. The super effective attack hit hard, knocking both parties away from each other and across the ice.

Axle slid across the ice on his back, further causing it pain, so much so that Axle actually cringed from it. Eon immediately ran to his side, looking over him when Axle finally stopped sliding. Still, Axle tried his best to keep himself from reacting to the pain any more then needed, and got up and ready for any more battling that needed.

"Is she…?" Axle asked while he took a look in the direction of Glaceon. Before Eon could say anything, he confirmed his own question. Elder Glaceon was lying on the floor, unconscious from Axle's final attack.

"Thank goodness, yes," Eon said. "We finally did it. Elder Glaceon has fainted."

Axle sighed. "The battle's not done yet, but at least that's one major hurdle we've made it through. So let's see what Shaymin's do…"

As Axle turned around to find Shaymin, to his immediate left he noticed Sparx slide across the ground, knocked out as well. A couple of seconds later, Shaymin flew down onto the same level as Axle and Eon. From the way he flew down and walked to them, they could tell he was tired and as he got closer they could figure out why. As Shaymin walked, sparks flew all around him and he staggered about.

"Whoa Shaymin, are you ok?" Eon asked.

"Heh, gotta give him credit," Shaymin said, his voice betraying his weariness. "First thing he did while fighting him was use Thunder Wave and paralyze me. Cut my speed down pretty good. Luckily with all the ice on the floor, he kept tripping, but it wasn't as easy of a fight as I figured." Shaymin took a second to look at Eon and Axle. "Looks like you two didn't fare that well either, huh?"

"We survived," Axle said. "And if you're done, that just leaves one more."

Axle, Eon, and Shaymin all turned around to face the still frozen leafeon.

"So…how was he?" Eon asked.

"Pretty tough," Axle answered, knowing exactly why Eon asked that question. "I'll admit, I didn't try too hard to attack him, as I was mostly serving as a distraction, but he doesn't mess around. Be careful around Leaf Blade and X-Scissor; one bad hit from those and you're done for. His Aerial Ace is about as fast as you would expect it to be. Still don't know what his last move is, but considering he hasn't used it yet, I imagine it's some sort of last resort."

"Alright," Eon said.

"Also, he's pretty defensive," Axle said. "I'll admit, I didn't try too hard to attack him, since I was mostly just distracting him, but he didn't really get hurt much from my attacks. The most damage he's taken from this fight would be from the Ice Beam. You'd be better using special attacks over physical."

Eon sighed. "I don't have many Shadow Balls left in me."

"Then you better make each one count," Axle advised.

"G-got it," Eon said.

It wasn't more than a few minutes later before the ice thawed out and Leif was able to move around again. At first he looked around in the direction he was facing, wondering what was going on, before turning around to face the trio. His eyes immediately caught both Glaceon and Sparx, and his eyes opened wide.

"So, how was that, dad?" Eon asked. "You wanted proof that I was stronger? Well look around. Axle, Shaymin, me. Together we've already taken out Elder Glaceon and Sparx. Two of you guys are down, and all three of us are still here."

Leif's mouth opened for a few seconds as he thought about what was going on. "You…how?"

Eon shook her head. "I'm sorry dad, but there's only one thing left. We have one more opponent to fight. So…are you ready?"

Leif closed his eyes and sighed. "Eon…I'm sorry," Leif said. "Regardless of everything, a father shouldn't have to fight his daughter. For forcing this on you, I apologize. But…"

Eon nodded. She started walking forward. "I…I know. And I'm ready. You should know, even if I lose to you, I have Axle and Shaymin waiting there, ready to back me up. They're part of my strength. So…while this is our fight for now, I'm not scared. I have help right behind me. Even if I faint here…even if I lose to you, my teammates will finish the job for me. That's the true strength of an Exploration Team."

Leif was silent as he looked over his daughter and absorbed her words. They both stood there like that for a few seconds before any fighting began. Eventually Leif sighed in defeat at his daughter's words.

"…Alright Eon. Let us begin."

Eon dashed forward immediately with a Quick Attack, rushing in a crescent arc to Leif's left side, both to avoid the ice between them and to attack him at the side. Eon jumped for her attack and the attack hit him on the side, but on her fall back down Leif countered with two Aerial Aces to her stomach. Those blows knocked Eon back a bit and gave her a rough landing.

With Eon on the ground, Leif charged up a Leaf Blade. Eon got to her paws and quickly scattered off before the attack hither. While Leif was still in the middle of the attack, Eon fired a Shadow Ball at him, easily hitting him with the attack. With that done, she ran off towards the nearest patch of ice where a counterattack from her father would be less easy.

"Impressive Eon, but the battle isn't over yet," Leif said. "Now let me show you just why I was chosen for this."

Leif charged up another Leaf Blade attack and ran directly towards Eon. The eevee prepared for that by walking to center of the ice, so that no matter where the attack came from Leif would have to traverse some ice to reach her. At least, that's what Eon planned for, but Leif had other plans. Instead, Leif smashed the ice with his Leaf Blade, causing it to crack and Eon to lose her footing. While Eon was busy staggering with the ice cracking around her, Leif took this advantage and hit her with an X-Scissor, knocking her back along with doing damage.

"I've sparred with your mother and fought alongside her several times before," Leif said. "She knows Ice Beam too. I know how to fight around and on ice."

"…" Eon shook her head before slowly getting up off the ground. "I'm still not giving up," the evee grunted as she got up. "No matter what. I won't give u…AAHHHGG!"

Eon fell back to the floor in pain. She hadn't fainted yet, but she was having much more difficulty getting up. Leif looked over his daughter and her struggle and took a deep, calm breath.

"This is it," Leif said as calmly as possible. "You're too wounded to keep on fighting. But the rules of the battle are rules and…I need to take you out. You put up a good fight Eon. Let me end this quickly."

Leif took a step back before jumping high into the air. While he did so, his body glowed started glowing white. Once he reached the arch of his jump and started falling back down, he was surrounded by a purple aura and orange streaks began swirling all around him. Leif fell to the ground powerfully, getting ready to use all his strength to knock out Eon as soon as possible with one final attack. Giga Impact.

Axle and Shaymin watched as the battle and watched the attack happen as it was happening. As Shaymin saw what happened, he was about to fly in that direction, but Axle held out her left paw to stop him. When Shaymin gave him the 'you're freaking crazy!' look, Axle just shook his head.

"This is Eon's battle," Axle said. The riolu turned his attention back to the battle at hand. _Eon, you know what you need to do,_ he thought as he watched the Giga Impact come closer to his partner. _Don't be afraid. Do what you need._

Eon herself watched as Leif got closer. She waited and waited and waited until Leif got close enough. Then, before Leif could hit her, Eon fired a Shadow Ball to the ground, causing it to explode in smoke all around her body. Gravity forced Leif to continue his attack despite not having clear vision, and when his attack hit, it cleared all the smoke and revealed that his attack hit nothing but the ground. Eon was nowhere to be found.

"W-wha…?" Leif asked, though he wasn't given the chance to finish that sentence as Eon quickly came from the ground and knocked him into his stomach.

Once Eon got back on her feet, she started running around, using Quick Attack to give herself momentum. Once she reached the fastest speed she could, she started running into Leif, striking him multiple times. "The strength I've gained." Strike. "From my friends." Strike. "All I've learned." Strike. "From my experiences." Strike. "Let me show you." Strike. "What it all means."

Eon stopped right in front of her father and launched one final physical attack. "To all that you've given me, I Return the favor!"

Eon's attack hit Leif hard, hard enough to knock him back. Leif finally collapsed under the pressure from the attack and this attack managed to knock Leif to the ground. Eon stood there for a few seconds, breathing, her forehead on Leif's neck, until she backed off to look at him.

"…I did it," Eon whispered. She looked back at Axle and Shaymin and said, "I…won."

Shaymin flashed a large smile. "You beat Leif? Good for you!" he looked at Axle. "You can let go of your right arm now."

At those words Axle realized that he was clutching his right arm with his left hand in a tight grip. Axle quickly dropped both hands to his side before walking up to meet with his partner, Shaymin following close behind. When he got there he looked down to see that Leif was indeed knocked out.

The trio all looked round to make sure that Sparx, Glaceon, and Leif were all still down, before looking at the crowd that was watching them the whole time. The crowd looked back at them with open mouths, all clearly surprised at what they just witnessed. There was silence, no cheers or jubilation, no congratulations from the crowd. Just silence.

"So this is what it feels like to be the winners of the least popular side," Axle mumbled. He shook his head. "I suppose we shouldn't have expected much more."

The silence was broken when Elvin and Myst ran up to the trio. "Congratulations you guys!" Elvin said, trying to give as much cheer as possible to make up for the lack of cheer from the crowd.

Myst ran up to Eon and examined her daughter carefully for all her injuries. She did the same for both Axle and Shaymin as well, both being slightly embarrassed by how physical she was during the examination. When she was done with that, she looked over to two other eeveelutions, a flareon and espeon, who were walking over to the downed eeveelutions.

"Come on you two, let's get moving," Myst commanded. "Just because the ones you wanted to win didn't, doesn't mean you can mope about when there's healing to be done. Get these three to the infirmary immediately."

Myst looked at Team Aura. "As for you three, I'd recommend coming to the infirmary as well. You've won, it's time to rest for now."


	11. Recovery

"We are exploring someplace tropical next," Axle groaned as an ice beam was shot onto his exposed back.

"Sorry Axle," Myst said after the ice beam. "Your back didn't get hit too hard from the Hyper Beam, but you do have some inflammation back there. It needs to be cooled down to be treated. It _should_ have been treated immediately, but it's in the past now."

"So that's where Eon gets it from," Shaymin said with a surprising amount of cheer. "Good to know."

Axle rolled his eyes before looking around the infirmary the crew was in. He, Eon, and Shaymin were all on one side of the infirmary being taken care of by Mist while Leif, Glaceon, and Sparx were on the other side being taken care of by the flareon and espeon from before. They were still surrounded by the brown wooden walls that every other house in the village had, but this building had the distinction of being the first without the town's symbol, instead having a plethora of berries on a banner.

"Hey Miss Myst," Shaymin said, bringing Axle's attention back to his group. Myst was currently checking over Shaymin to see what he needed. "You don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but I'm curious. Why are you over here taking care of us when your husband is knocked out over on the other side of the room?"

"I'm a mother, not a healer," Myst answered. "Bumps, bruises, scrapes, and cuts are more my specialty. Especially thanks to Eon's older brothers. There wasn't a day where at least one of them came back all scratched up from something, usually stupid. As for my husband, though, he needs the healers more then he needs me."

 _That, and she was probably the only one who was willing to help us,_ Axle thought bitterly, though he was smart enough to keep those thoughts away from his lips.

A groan came from the other side of the room, alerting Axle, Shaymin, and Eon to that side. As they looked, the doctors finished with the trio of knocked out eeveelutions, and the three of them started opening their eyes. Leif was the first to become aware of where he was, followed by Glaceon then Sparx.

"What?" Elder Glaceon asked, quickly looking around the room. "What happened?"

"We lost," Leif said bluntly to the elder. "That's what happened."

Glaceon looked at the leafeon completely stunned by what he said. Axle couldn't help but chuckle at the look of absolute disbelief on her face from Leif's words. Sparx, on the other hand, accepted it rather quickly and he, along with Leif, walked over to the other side where Axle, Eon, and Shaymin were.

"Well congrats you guys," Sparx said first. "Gotta admit, didn't think you had it in you. Boy, you sure showed us."

"Yeah…" Leif agreed slowly, his eyes darting over to his wife. Myst responded with an "I told you so" look that made Leif look even more embarrassed.

"Thanks," Shaymin responded. "Still, you guys sure put up a fight. Nice move with the Thunder Wave. Paralyzing me was probably the best thing you could have done. Really cut my mobility in half."

"Is that what you call it?" Sparx asked. "Because it did jack all. Man, I heard you were quick, but you nearly outspeeded me even paralyzed. You Mystical Pokemon sure are in a league of your own."

"Not like you didn't put up a fight. I haven't been pushed to my limits like that in a long time. We should really spar again someday when we don't have to worry about some stupid competition."

Sparx stood up proudly. "Don't think I'll lose next time, then. I'll train even harder and take you out someday."

"Looking forward to it," Shaymin chuckled. "In exchange, I'll help you out with the ladies. I already got one couple coming up soon. I can probably get a ton of others."

Axle and Eon both flashed each other horrified looks at the thought of Sparx and Shaymin becoming friends. "Perhaps we shouldn't have made it so we can come and go from here," Axle mumbled to her. "I think it's caused more harm than good." Eon could only roll her eyes in agreement.

Axle then turned his attention to Leif. "So, are you impressed now?" he asked, keeping his words short.

"I…have to apologize to all of you," Leif said with a nod. "Your tactics were rather good." Facing Axle, he said, "Using bad matchups as a way of distracting us from what you were actually doing and making us overconfident was great. I didn't even think of the possibility you would send Shaymin over to Elder Glaceon to trick her into spreading ice across the battlefield and giving you guys an advantage. Plus, momentarily freezing me so you would have less opponents to worry about at one time was also a rather great idea."

Leif then looked towards Eon and sighed. "As for you, my daughter, I can't possibly ask for your forgiveness. Despite everything I heard about you from Elvin, all of your accomplishments, I still couldn't believe your strength. I feared Exploration Teams for the longest time, since losing my own father to one, and when you ran away to join one, I thought you would never return. But no, you made it back and grew strong since we last left. As we fought, I could see the strength in your eyes. The timid eevee that left that day is long gone. Instead we have with us a strong young woman. I'm…proud of you Eon. And I'm sorry that you had to fight me to prove yourself."

Eon looked away. Axle was able see her face and he read conflict in her eyes. She didn't look angry at her father, but she wasn't about to forgive him either. She had a look of understanding, but also a look of disappointment. A part of Axle wanted to give her words of comfort, but he knew this was something that Eon needed to figure out for herself.

"I…I'm sorry," Eon said, shaking her head. "I need a minute. Maybe a bit longer. I just…"

Leif nodded. "I understand. I don't expect you to forgive me or anything. Just know that you will always have a home here and that your father is supporting you on your explorations."

Eon couldn't say anything else, so she just nodded her thanks.

"I…I refuse to believe it!" Elder Glaceon finally yelled, causing everyone's attention to go to her. "You couldn't have possibly defeated all of us! You…you must have cheated somehow!" Glaceon stepped forward. "Tell me, how did you do it?! How did you cheat your way to victory?!"

"Elder Glaceon, that's enough!" a voice from outside said. "Don't embarrass yourself or us any further."

From the right entrance the rest of the eeveelution elders all walked in, with Elvin standing to the left of Elder Umbreon. The six of them promptly ignored Elder Glaceon, turning instead to face Team Aura. They all had various looks or expressions ranging from cautiousness to the same disbelief Elder Glaceon had, except for Elder Umbreon, who was curious enough to give Team Aura a soft smile.

"Congratulations you three," Elder Umbreon said. "Despite certain objections, you three managed to defeat the three challengers we sent for you. Not only that, but you went above and beyond by not having a single Pokémon in your team be defeated as well. You showed an impressive amount of skill, strength, and strategy out there."

Elder Glaceon tried to protest, but her protests stuttered and fell flat and were outright ignored.

Elder Umbreon continued. "As such, in accordance with what we agreed on in this competition, the three of you are allowed to come and go from this village as you please. And you can feel free to go to Elvin's evolution ceremony. While many of us still have certain reservations, we will not stop you unless we feel you truly intend to bring harm to our village." Elvin flashed the trio a smile at that.

"I refuse to accept that!" Elder Glaceon yelled. "They're outsiders! Have you all forgotten what happened last time we let outsiders into our village!"

"That's enough Elder Glaceon!" Elder Flareon said, turning back to look at her. "Might I remind you that it was you who convinced the rest of us to accept their proposal. You're the one who wanted to fight against them as well, despite there being younger and more fit glaceon in the village. And we are a Pokémon of our word. We made a deal and that deal must be met. We at least have that honor."

"But…"

"Your fears are shared with the rest of the village," Umbreon said to cut her off. "There are many who, even among us Elders, share your fears and worries. However, our fears have also lead to us being recluse, too recluse if you ask me. If it weren't for your son getting news from Mystifying Forest, we would have known nothing of the crisis that hit the world. The fact that time was stopping, space was being distorted, two crises hit this world that would have affected life as we knew it, yet we were mostly unaware about it. Having Pokémon who can travel two and from the village, outsiders or otherwise, could at least allow us to know what's going on in the world outside."

Eon spoke next, quieter and without the emotion she previously spoke to the Elders with. "I…know I broke a rule. And I know what happened because of that. I know that me being here can possibly make the kids think they can go out and do what I did and be a hero. But…I've shown that being in an Exploration Team is different than it was back then. We're trained to face the dangers; we're trained to know what to do when the situation gets rough. And if the worst case scenario does happen, we have a plan for that as well. Our badges act as a beacon to allow other explorers to possibly help us, or can allow us to escape quickly if need be. And it's thanks to that training that we won."

Eon shook her head. "I…won't ask you to like me. At least not right away. But at least let me come and go. This was my home. And let me go to my best friend's Evolution Ceremony like I promised him I would. That's all I ask."

Elder Glaceon walked past the elders to reach Eon. The glaceon towered over the eevee, but Eon stood her ground regardless. The two of them stared at each other for a couple of seconds before Glaceon finally spoke.

"My son plans on going out and exploring the world after he evolves," glaceon said. "He's going to leave the safety of the village and go out into the dangerous world, where he could get killed. What's going to happen to him? Can you tell me that?"

Eon took a step back out of surprise at that revelation. She looked at Elder Glaceon and inside her eyes weren't anger, hatred, malice, or anything that was expected. Instead, inside Glaceon's eyes could be seen the desperation of a worried mother.

"…If something does happen to him, then we'll rescue him," Eon said. "Axle, Shaymin, and I will all be there for him no matter what."

"…Can I really believe that?" Elder Glaceon asked. "How will you know?"

Eon looked to the floor for a couple of seconds. "…I've got an idea," she said. "You'll have to wait until tomorrow but…I think I know something that will help." Eon looked back up. "But I promise you, I have something that can work."

Glaceon continued staring at Eon for a few seconds. Eventually she just turned around and walked away. Without another word she walked out of the tent and away. Her silence even managed to cause Axle to drop his mouth in surprise.

"Hmm…it appears that Elder Glaceon has some thinking to do," Elder Espeon said. "Should be interesting to see what happens to her in the future."

"You might have just won over the first one of us," Elder Umbreon said. "Still, for now, we've got other things to worry about. After all, the two of you have some healing to do then a ceremony to get ready for."


	12. Evolution

"Can someone remind me again why we're wearing these?" Axle asked as he looked towards his torso.

Axle's torso was adorned with a silk tuxedo that covered most of his upper body to his waist. He was glad for something to be covering his back up, since he still had a patch of fur missing on his back, leaving skin exposed along there, but the suit was tight and Axle felt really uncomfortable in it. Plus, the fur on his head was stylized as well. He looked back up and saw Shaymin wearing a green dress-shirt that was bright and shiny. Finally, Leif had his own green tuxedo on, though it was darker green, more like the trees deep in the woods.

"It's a fancy event," Shaymin said. "Of course we have to dress up. That's just how it goes."

"I don't see why," Axle said, looking back at his torso. "These suits feel so impractical and it's so tight."

"Sorry Axle, but the suits we have are mostly for eeveelutions," Leif said. "And well, you're large. It's either that or wear something extremely loose fitting."

"I'm debating on it," Axle said in a deadpan voice.

"Hey, you've gotta look fancy for your mate," Shaymin said, nudging Axle in his right side. "Just think of her reaction when she finally sees you looking all fancy. And you'll see her in whatever dress she'll be wearing and the two of you just won't be able to contain yourself."

"Your wife may feel free to use Ice Beam on him at any time," Axle told Leif, noticing his glaring at the grass/flying-type.

"Duly noted," Leif said.

Shaymin took a step back. "Uhh…we're done here so we should probably head out," he said nervously. "So uhh…see ya!"

Shaymin quickly burst out of the door behind Axle before anyone could say anything else. Axle sighed as he turned around to look out the now open door. While he was doing that Leif walked up to his side.

"I've said this several times before, but should I ask?" Leif asked.

"It's Shaymin being Shaymin," Axle said. "You get used to it."

Leif sighed. "Well, we're ready anyways. So let's go and see if Eon and Myst are as well."

Axle nodded and they both walked back into the waiting room. When they got there the first thing Axle noticed was Shaymin standing in the middle of the room, entranced by something. Axle walked up to Shaymin in confusion until he followed where Shaymin's eyes were facing. When he did, Axle stopped as well.

Standing on the other side of the room was Eon and her mother, all dressed up as well. Myst was wearing a dress that looked fittingly like she was wearing water. In fact, Axle was half tempted to ask if she was manipulating water like that, but he decided against it at the moment. He figured that question was better posed for Eon anyways.

Speaking of the eevee, Eon was wearing a dress in the colors of the sunset. A yellow front with orange stripes and the dress part spread around her tail was a bright red. Around her neck she had a broach in the shape of the sun, with red ribbons wrapping around her neck, holding it in place. When Eon noticed Axle, she turned around to face him, giving him a soft smile.

"Hey Axle," Eon said. "It…looks like you're ready."

"D-depends on how you define 'ready'," Axle said, trying to gain momentum in his voice. "I still don't see why we need to wear these things. What's the point, exactly?"

"Amusingly, it was actually originally a human tradition," Shaymin mentioned. "It's said that humans used to dress up all the time when going to fancy parties. We Pokémon just picked up that tradition."

"We don't even normally wear clothes," Axle mumbled.

"You get used to it," Eon said with a nod. "We usually have some event we need these once or twice a year so we're used to wearing these. But I know what you guys mean. It's been a couple of years for me too. I'm actually surprised that my dress still fits after all these years."

"Well, now that we're done meeting up, it's about time we head towards Luminous Spring," Leif said.

Axle, Eon, Shaymin, and Myst all nodded and the five of them exited the room and walked out into the village bathed in the sunset sky of the evening. When they did, Axle noticed a large crowd of dressed up eeveelutions all walking in the same direction. It almost looked like the entire town was heading towards Elvin's Evolution Ceremony.

"Well…this is impressive," Axle said. "Does the entire town normally all go to watch an Evolution Ceremony?"

"Not necessarily the entire town but this is a sort of rite of passage for us," Myst said. "Elvin is essentially being inducted into adulthood. That, and he is the son of one of our elders. So of course a lot of Pokémon are going to want to see this."

"The Evolution Ceremony is one of the biggest events of an eevee's life," Eon compounded on what her mother said. "We look forward to this since we're young! The chance to finally achieve our potential. It's also when we're recognized as adults. Remember Axle, we're not allowed to even leave the village until after we evolve. We're given so much freedom after we evolve that we just can't wait until that happens! Should we choose, we're even allowed to give ourselves a new nickname once we evolve! We're given so much after evolving it's crazy!"

"That's why you didn't want them to force you to do the ceremony quietly, right?" Shaymin asked.

"Among other reasons," Axle mumbled, his head down, but he mostly kept it to himself.

"Yeah, exactly," Eon said with extra pep in her voice. "I'm not going to let them stop me from enjoying my special day just because they want to keep me quiet!"

Axle felt eyes on him and he looked up to see Leif looking down at him. Axle lifted his chin back up and kept his eyes forward. At this point they were at the edge of the village and walking into the greater part of the forest. As such, the light around them started thinning out and it became a little darker.

"The event technically starts at night, but this forest is too dark to normally see our way at night, so we all head out now," Leif explained. "Elder Flareon will light our way back when the party is over."

"And of course Luminous Spring will light up where the party takes place," Myst said.

Eventually, the three of them made it to Luminous Spring. When they did, they noticed that the eeveelutions who were already there were lining up in two lines on both sides of the forest leading to the lake, as if they were making a path. Those who were just getting there were also taking their place in the line. The five of them all took their place on the line to the right while entering.

"So, what's going on here?" Shaymin asked.

"You'll see," Eon said. "It's almost time. Just wait until the sun finally sets."

"And you can figure out when that happens how?" Axle asked

Shaymin chuckled. "I'll sure as heck know exactly when that happens."

Leif and Myst both looked at Shaymin with confusion, but they got their answer before they could even say anything. A few seconds later a bright light surrounded Shaymin, bright enough that it caught the attention of pretty much everyone in the forest. The light dissipated after a couple of seconds, and when it did Shaymin went from a deer-like Pokemon to one more resembling either a hedgehog or the grass with his green-spiked back. Both Leif and Myst cried out in surprise when they saw that.

"Heh, funny that we've been staying at your house for so long and this is the first time you've seen this," Shaymin said, his voice slightly higher from his transformation. "Say hello to my Land Forme. This is technically my default form, but I like my Sky Forme better. So first thing in the morning I immediately transform back."

"…Ok then," Leif said. "I suppose, since you're a Mythical Pokémon, strange things like that should be expected."

"You've sure met a lot of interesting friends," Myst told her daughter. "Now that you're able to come and go as you please, we really should catch up on all the things you've seen in your travels."

Eon smiled back at her mother. "Of course mom!" she said. "I'll be happy to talk to you about what I've seen! I've always wanted to talk about my travels!"

"Shh, it's time," Leif said.

Axle first looked at Leif and, noticing that he was looking over the many eeveelutions to the left, Axle also looked in that direction. There, he saw Elvin finally appearing, walking down the path made for him by the eeveelutions. He was wearing a dark black ribbon around his neck and he had a confident look on his face.

"That a…Lunar Ribbon isn't it?" Axle asked.

"Doesn't surprise me," Eon said. "Elvin always wanted to be like Elder Umbreon so it really doesn't surprise me that he would want to evolve into an Umbreon himself."

Elvin continued across the line until he reached the edge of the waters. He dipped his paws into it and, before he reached where the light was shining, the shiny eevee turned around to face the crowd. The crowd started moving in when he got there, Axle, Eon, and Shaymin following suit when they noticed the rest of the crowd going in, them all managing to make it into the second row.

"This is the part where he gives his speech, right?" Axle whispered to Eon.

"Yeah, exactly," Eon whispered back. "It's customary for the eevee participating in the evolution ceremony to give a speech about what they're going to do now that they evolved. Usually we think of what speech we're going to make while walking through the forest looking for our item; what we're going to do with our lives from here on out, things like that. It's sort of rite of passage for us. I'm sure Elvin has thought long and hard about what he's going to say."

Once Elvin noticed that everyone was done, he began speaking from his place in the water. "Hello everybody, and thank you all for coming here," Elvin started. "My name is Elvin. I am the son of Elder Glaceon and was mentored by Elder Umbreon. I recently reached the age where I was allowed into the forest to find my item. Having found that, I'm here and ready to finally evolve."

"As I'm sure all of you know, to evolve we must first go into the forest and find our evolution item. While there though, there were a few other things I wanted to do. I had recently lost a dear friend of mine and I was concerned over her wellbeing. Despite us being told to avoid talking to too many outsiders, I did so anyways. And it was there when I learned about something that really shocked me."

"While we were in our village, isolated from the rest of the world, the world was nearly destroyed. Twice. I honestly couldn't believe what I heard when I heard that. The world went through nearly two apocalypses and we heard nothing about it. A part of me was honestly terrified when I heard of that. But I'm glad I heard it, since it got me thinking."

"I thought I learned a lot from Elder Umbreon's teaching. I did learn a lot from Elder Umbreon. But one thing he taught me was that there are things that can't be learned, they have to be experienced. I really learned that when I was out there. I thought I understood the world, but I found out I was wrong."

"So I plan to go out into the world. I want to see new places, learn new things, and become a better person out there. I don't plan on leaving forever though. Someday, I plan to come back to this village. And when I do, I hope to take all that I learned and use it here. I want to use what I learned to make this place grow, so that this village will start to grow instead of decline. That is what I plan on using my newfound power for."

Elvin looked around until his eyes caught Eon's. "As for my name…I will be sticking with Elvin as it was a name given to me by a good friend of mine. So from this day forth, I will be Elvin the Umbreon!"

With that, Elvin bowed, signaling he was done. He then turned around once again and walked into the light behind him. Once he got there, the light completely enveloped him, blocking him from everyone's vision.

" _You who seek awakening. This is Luminous Spring. Do you seek a new power_?" a mysterious voice asked.

"Yes, I do," Elvin's voice called out from inside the light.

" _Do you require an item_?" the voice continued to ask.

"I have it right here," Elvin said. "This Lunar Ribbon."

" _Then let us to begin."_

The light glowed brighter to the point where it filled the entire forest glade. Most of the Pokémon who were there had to look away from the lake while the blinding light came over them. It was bright for a few seconds and then the light started dissipating as quickly as it came, signaling that the evolution was done. With that out of the way, Elvin walked away from the light, showing his new body to all.

At first, Elvin looked to be your average umbreon. It was at that point where Axle thought that evolution might cause shiny Pokémon to revert back to normal colors. However, he eventually noticed the subtle differences, especially when Elder Umbreon started walking up to him along with his mother. His coat was slightly lighter than your average umbreon's dark-black coat. His eyes were also bright yellow instead of the dark red that most umbreon have. Finally, when the rings on his body glowed, they glowed a midnight blue instead of the normal yellow glow of an umbreon. He was also a little shorter then Elder Umbreon, but Axle attributed that more to age or just his growth over him being shiny.

Once Elvin finally stepped out, all the eeveelutions rang out a cheer for him. It was clear that Elvin was not used to the attention, as his face began glowing bright red and he looked nervous about all the cheering coming towards him. Still, he gave the crowd one more bow, causing the cheers to grow even louder.

During the cheers, Shaymin whispered to Eon, "Hey, he was looking at you when he mentioned keeping his name. Did you…?"

"Yeah," Eon answered before Shaymin finished his question. "Elvin and I gave each other our names. Elvin gave me the name 'Eon' because he knew my love of history and the past. I gave him the name 'Elvin' because, according to a book I read, it used to mean 'good friend' in some human language. And Elvin was and is one of my closest friends, aside from you two. So, in a way, I'm glad he's keeping his name."

"Wait…you two named each other?" Shaymin asked. Eon looked at him to see his surprised expression, but as time passed, Shaymin never compounded on why he found that idea so odd.

"So, what we do now?" Axle eventually asked Eon as the cheering started dying down.

"Well Elvin will get some congratulations from various villagers," Eon explained. "Some will also give him gifts if they're close enough. Speaking of which…"

Eon waited until everyone else was done talking to Elvin first before walking forward, Axle and Shaymin following behind her out of curiosity. When they reached him and caught his attention, Eon smiled and nodded. Elvin returned the favor, but Axle thought he could see some sort of sadness in his eyes.

"Congratulations Elvin," Eon said.

"Thanks Eon," Elvin said. "So, what'd you think of my speech?"

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," Eon said. "You said you wanted to go out and experience the world, right? Well, do you remember what I asked you all those years ago? The offer's still on the table. You can still join Team Aura. We'd be happy to have you on the team."

Elvin gave her a sad smile. "Eon…a part of me really wants to. I'm sure I would see a lot of things going with you guys. But…this is something I feel like I need to do on my own. You guys have already seen so much and gotten so much experience and I'm…not there yet. I might join you someday, but not now."

Eon sighed. "I don't know why, but a part of me figured you would say that," she said. "But still…" Eon reached around her dress until she got out an exploration badge. With her right paw, she lifted it up and held it out for Elvin to see. "Even if you're not going to join us, I still want you to have this," Eon said. "If you end up getting knocked out in a dungeon, this'll either let you escape the dungeon or call for help. That way, you have a lot less to worry about in case you end up in a dungeon."

Elvin placed his paw on hers and grabbed the badge. "Well…thanks Eon," he managed to stutter out. "I will treasure it always."

Shaymin jumped up to him next to get his attention. "Congrats dude," Shaymin said. "You're not too half bad looking. I'm sure the ladies will flock towards you. If you need any romantic advice, just ask your uncle Shaymin. I can get you any lady you ask!"

"Well…" Elvin took a step back in embarrassment. His eyes quickly glanced towards Eon before facing Shaymin again before anyone could notice. "It's…the thought that counts I guess."

Quickly changing the subject, Elvin said, "Anyways, Eon, thank you for keeping your promise. I'm glad you could make it. Axle, Shaymin, I have to thank you both too, for helping Eon get to this place. There's plenty of feasting and partying next, so I hope you three enjoy the night. You all deserve it."

The sudden cluck of something heavy falling sounded behind the three and they all turned back to see two large rectangular tables filled with food suddenly appeared behind them. Axle's mouth fell and he even noticed Shaymin following suit. Eon of course chuckled at Axle and Shaymin's surprise.

"Some espeon psychically bring it in during the ceremony," Eon explained. "No, it didn't just magically appear."

"…Got it," Axle said.

Elvin took a step forward. "Let the party begin!"

Several minutes later, as the party was in full swing, Elvin snuck away from the party to between the trees just outside of the glade. From there, he watched the event going on, looking around through the many faces, searching for someone. After a few minutes he eventually found who he was looking for. His old childhood friend. Eon.

She was sitting with her new friend Axle behind one of the tables, a bit away from where everyone one else was dancing. Axle was facing forward while Eon had her head turned left and her eyes on him. The two of them were talking with each other, but Elvin doubted he could hear what they were saying even if there wasn't loud impromptu unintelligible karaoke and dancing going on. All he could do was guess from what he was seeing. And that was that Eon was happy. She smiled as she talked with Axle and Elvin noticed that Axle's face wasn't as hard as it usually was when he talked with her. Elvin sighed as he watched what was going on.

"Eon…what are you thinking right now?" Elvin whispered to himself. "What are you two doing? Have you even noticed I'm gone?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask her?" a voice to his left ask, causing Elvin to cry out and jump to his right. The umbreon's head snapped around as he tried to find what spoke that, but he couldn't see anything. No matter how hard he looked, Elvin couldn't figure out where that voice was coming from.

"I'm down here," the voice said, unamused. "And people wonder why I prefer my Sky Forme."

Elvin eventually noticed a small patch of white below some of the grass. As he saw that, he eventually noticed some eyes, a nose, and even two pink flowers that he didn't before. Realization struck him that the voice he heard was Eon's other new friend, Shaymin.

"Oh, sorry," Elvin said. "I had a hard time noticing you."

"You and the rest of the world," Shaymin said. He walked closer to Elvin. "I've had enough getting accidently trampled for one day. So I'm taking a break. How about you?"

"I've…" Elvin looked back out at the party, "got a few reasons."

Shaymin followed his gaze and nodded knowingly. The two sat there for a few seconds, watching their friends talk. Elvin could feel some sort of kinship between them from this action, though he had no idea what kind. However, he took one look at Shaymin's expression as the grass-type watched and he opened his mouth.

"Are those two actually…?" Elvin couldn't finish it.

"That's a good question." Shaymin said with a chuckle. "Despite all my jokes and stuff like that, honestly, it's hard to tell sometimes. Those two are close. Real close. And there are times where I swear the two should just kiss already. They have an undeniable bond. They understand each other on an intimate level. And they're pretty good at working together. You saw them work together against Glaceon, and I've seen them do much more than that. Plus, they sort of complete each other. Axle gives Eon the strength needed to achieve her dreams, while Eon give Axle an identity in a world he doesn't belong in."

"Beyond that though…they haven't really done anything strictly romantic with each other." Shaymin chuckled. "As I said before, there are times where I swear those two should just kiss already and get it over with. Don't really know what's stopping them. I suppose that's their business though." Shaymin gave one more chuckle. "Not that I'm going to stop teasing them for it."

"Do you want them together?" Elvin asked.

"Yeah, totally!" Shaymin said without holding back. "But I mean, I do have my reasons for it."

"You don't need to state them," Elvin said, trying to put a humorous tone in his voice. "I…kinda figured it out from what you said before."

"True, but there are a couple of other reasons," Shaymin said. He chuckled. "They're kinda selfish though. You see, there used to be a couple around Shaymin village. Skyla and Rainflower. Rainflower was a lot like Eon. Timid. Easily pushed around. But he was a dreamer and really wanted to experience things that he was just too timid for. Skyla…really helped him a lot. She gave him confidence and while around her, he felt he could do what he wanted. She even managed to get him to climb Sky Peak for the first time and was with him when he flew for the first time."

"That does sound a lot like Eon," Elvin said contemplatively. "And Skyla…"

"Is actually a lot less like Axle then Rainflower is to Eon," Shaymin said with a chuckle. "Axle's really stoic, which he does to stay strong and help us stay strong even if things are going badly. Skyla was strong in a different way. She knew who she was, what she wanted, and could be pretty blunt about it. She was also really pushy at times, which I can't imagine Axle being. She wore her emotions on her sleeve and wasn't afraid of them."

"You keep using the past tense," Elvin noticed. "What happened."

Shaymin looked down. "It's…not something I really want to talk about," Shaymin said. "Just know…those two aren't around anymore. Which is too bad, because they were a really cute couple. You kinda miss not seeing those two around. So it's kinda selfish, but thinking of Axle and Eon together kinda makes me feel like Skyla and Rainflower are around again."

"Don't tell Axle and Eon, though," Shaymin finished.

In front of them, Eon got up behind Axle and was starting to push him towards the rest of the party. Axle looked reluctant, however Eon didn't give him much of a choice. Eventually, Axle was forced into the dance floor where Eon somehow convinced him to dance. It was…quite terrible dancing, but the two looked like they were having fun anyways, even though Axle's face was red while they were doing it.

"I…understand what you mean though," Elvin said. "I've seen the synergy the two have. I understand what the two have mutually gone through from what Axle has told me. I've…accepted that Eon has grown closer to Axle then she ever was with me. Then she ever could have been with me."

"And you're ok with that?" Shaymin asked. "Are you ok with this?"

"…I don't know," Elvin admitted. "I feel jealous, honestly. Hurt. I can't help but wonder, especially as I watch this, if things could have been different. If I actually went with Eon back when she asked me, could it be me right now, dancing next to her." Elvin shook his head. "But in the end, Axle stuck with her. He only left her when he didn't have a choice. I had the choice yet I still left her. So…I know that I have to accept that. I value Eon's happiness and my friendship with her. If I just think of that…I suppose I can accept it at least."

Elvin sighed and bottled up all his feelings inside to put on a smile. He then left his hiding spot in the forest and walked out into the clearing, making a beeline towards the dancing Axle and Eon. And while he felt his heart ache, he kept on going until he reached close enough to the two of them so that they could hear him.

"Well, it looks like you two are having fun," Elvin quipped.

Axle and Eon immediately stopped dancing and looked over towards the shiny umbreon. Axle's annoyed blush grew even stronger and even Eon started blushing a bit from being caught. Axle crossed his arms and tried looking tough, but his red face made that impossible and Elvin silently chuckled at it. It helped him keep on his smile.

"Oh, there you are Elvin," Eon said. "Where'd you go? You just suddenly disappeared from the party."

"I couldn't really catch your aura either when Eon asked me to search for it," Axle said, his face slightly less red. "We thought you left on your own for some reason."

 _So…she did notice I was gone,_ Elvin thought, his heart lighting up a bit. _They even tried searching for me. I'm glad…she still at least somewhat cares about me. Thank you Eon._

"Sorry, I had to step away for a bit," Elvin said. "While the party has been fun, it's also a little overwhelming."

"Well how about you come dancing with us?" Eon asked. "Don't worry too much about embarrassing yourself too much, Axle has already been doing that enough as it is."

"Aren't you the one who forced me here to dance?" Axle asked. "I told you I had no idea how to dance."

"Hey, at least it was fun," Eon said with a smile. "Be honest with me, would you rather be out here dancing, even if it's embarrassing, or still where you were doing nothing?"

Axle crossed his arms. "True, I suppose."

Elvin chuckled. _Eon…you've changed so much, but you're still the same kind eevee that left. You're always willing to include me, even if I'm not the closest to your heart._ The umbreon's eyes fell on her stoic best friend. _Axle…do you know what you have?_

"I might dance a bit later," Elvin finally said. "First…hey Axle, would you mind talking with me alone for a minute?" Elvin checked with Eon. "You don't mind, do you?"

"I guess I don't if Axle doesn't," she said.

Axle examined Elvin with his usual expressionless stare for a few seconds before nodding. "I suppose," the riolu said.

Elvin nodded back and the two of them walked away from listening ears. They walked all the way to the edge of the forest, just before they reached the trees. When they got there, Elvin looked around the grass in between the trees for any sign of Shaymin.

"Hey, do you mind checking to see if your Shaymin friend is watching us?" Elvin asked.

Axle nodded and closed his eyes, his tassels on his side lifting up. He stood like that for a couple of seconds and Elvin felt a very strange feeling wash over him. Perhaps it was just the placebo effect, but Elvin almost felt like he could feel Axle's examine him, as if nothing could be hidden from the riolu during his examination.

"No, I can't sense Shaymin," Axle said. "He shouldn't be anywhere within listening distance for us."

"Alright, thanks," Elvin said.

"So, what do you want?" Axle asked.

"Axle, Eon was my best friend, and I'm probably not going to see her for a long time. So please, take care of her for me, would you? I know you probably don't need me to ask you that, and you've probably already been doing that but…I just thought I'd ask. So can you promise me that?"

Axle nodded. "Of course. You didn't even need to ask. I would give my life for her."

Elvin gave Axle a sad smile. "Thanks Axle. I…really needed to hear that." Elvin turned around and looked in the direction of the rest of the party, and specifically towards Eon. "Eon's a really special girl you know."

"Yeah, she is really special. There's no one in any world quite like her. I'm glad that I met her. I'm glad I know her. I'm glad I got to be her friend," Axle agreed with a surprising amount of emotion in his voice. Elvin couldn't quite detect what the emotion was and a part of him wondered if Axle himself knew, but the emotion was still there.

Elvin gave a final nod. "Thanks Axle. I needed to hear that. Anyways, we should head back now. Eon is waiting for us."

Elvin started his way back with Axle's footsteps following close behind. While walking, he thought, _whatever their relationship is, whatever happens between the two, I've decided I'll support it. No matter how much it hurts, it's what she deserves. After all those two have been through…they both deserve it._


End file.
